Tea ceremony utensils are only used for the tea ceremony and not for anything else. A more interesting fact is that the same type of tools has been used for more than 600 years, defying all the technological advancements. There is a hierarchy among the tea ceremony utensils. The tea bowl and the tea caddy are the most important ones, while the kensui (wastewater container) and the ash container (haiki) have the lowest level of importance. The high-level utensils are brought to the room first and held by two hands all the time. Read more about the tea ceremony utensils.
- Chasen: Tea whisk made from the single piece of bamboo
- Chashaku: Tea scoop made from bamboo or ivory
- Chawan: Decorated tea bowl.
- Hishaku: Ladle used to pour water made of bamboo
- Kaiseki: Delicate meal sometimes eaten during a tea ceremony
- Kama: Iron pot used for hot water
- Matcha: Bitter green tea prepared in a powdered form
- Natsume: The decorated tea jar that the green tea comes in
- Shokyaku: The main guest or guest of honour at the tea ceremony
- Tatami: The type of mat found in a tea house Teishu: The host of the tea ceremony
A typical tea ceremony room would have an alcove, hand-brushed scroll, seasonal flowers, incense container, folding screens, a square-shaped hearth, a half-door entrance for guests, and the fusuma style separate entrance for the host.
However, there are clear rules on how these items are displayed in the tea room and what kind of sitting order the participants follow. For instance, flowers are displayed on the left side of the scroll, and the incense container should be on the right side. The most senior person must sit closest to the alcove.
What is the Sitting order of the Tea Ceremony Room?
The host (teishu) must face the hanging scroll. The folding screen must be placed in front and the left side of the host. The scroll must be on the right side of the guests (when there is a small group). The guest entrance usually faces the alcove. There is usually 1 tatami mat of separation between the host and the guests. The most senior guest (shokyaku) must be closest to the scroll. The shokyaku should make a comment about the utensils and the room. The other guests usually cannot ask questions or make comments.