Tea Ceremony. Shozo Sato

was the first person to hold tea ceremonies in a small room with only a few guests. Shuko emphasized the "study of humbleness" and disapproved of showing off wealth.

      The merchants of Sakai: This class of wealthy traders also held tea ceremonies in small rooms with few guests. The settings of their tea ceremonies were peaceful and simple. The merchants of Sakai were the first to use Japanese folk crafts in tea ceremonies instead of ones imported from China.

      Sen no Rikyu: A Sakai merchant, Rikyu was a student of Taken Jo-o, who was famous for his tea ceremonies. When they prepared their tea ceremonies, both men took into account the season, the time of day, and the social occasion. Rikyu organized the steps for preparing bowls of tea that are still used today. His ceremonies emphasized modesty, spirituality, and the beauty of simplicity.

      types of tea

      Tea leaves come in many different forms, depending on where they are grown, the month when the leaves are picked, and the way they are processed. Green tea is the most popular tea in Japan, and is the tea used in the traditional tea ceremony. However, other varieties of tea are also popular. Since there are many kinds of teas, each with a very different flavor, it is important to understand the different types of teas and how each should be prepared to get the best flavor.

      Dan cha

      Dan cha is considered the oldest type of green tea. In Japanese, dan means "brick" and cha means "tea."

      To make dan cha, the tea leaves are steamed and then placed in a mortar and pounded with a pestle to release the juices that help hold the pieces together. The clump is then molded into a square or round disk and dried. This dried-brick form of tea is much easier to transport than loose green tea leaves. Originally, dan cha was the main way that people drank tea, unless they grew the tea bushes themselves.