What Is the Japanese Tea Ceremony?

The Japanese tea ceremony, also known as Sado, Chado, and Chanoyu is a time-honored way of serving matcha. Beyond just the consumption of tea, the Japanese Tea Ceremony also places value on the art of preparing and serving.

There are different ways of conducting tea ceremonies based on the school of thought the practitioner studied under. The three main tea schools in Japan are Urasenke, Mushanokōjisenke, and Omotesenke. They’ve been dubbed as the “main” schools because of their large following (both inside and outside Japan) and since they can trace their lineage back to tea master Sen no Rikyu. In fact, these schools all have “sen” in their names in honor of the tea master.

Other schools and styles have been established outside the Sen schools, with each passing on the teachings and traditions of their founders.

Each aspect of the ceremony is well thought out with the guest’s happiness in mind and in line with the teachings of the tea masters who have shaped the ceremony.