Tea room The Japanese traditional floor mats, , are used in various ways in tea offerings. Their placement, determines how a person walks through the tea room , and different seating positions. The use of flooring has influenced the development of tea. For instance, when walking on it is customary to shuffle in order to avoid causing disturbance. Shuffling forces one to slow down, to maintain erect posture, walk quietly, and helps one to maintain balance as the combination of and makes for a slippery surface. This is due to the Kimono's restricted movement. Additionally, one must avoid walking on the joins between mats. The reason being that it would damage the . Therefore, tea students are taught to step over such joins when walking in the tea room. The placement of in tea rooms differs slightly from the normal placement in regular
Japanese-style rooms, and may also vary by season (where it is possible to rearrange the mats). In a 4.5 mat room, the mats are placed in a circular pattern around a centre mat. Purpose-built tea rooms have a sunken hearth in the floor which is used in winter. A special is used which has a cut-out section providing access to the hearth. In summer, the hearth is covered either with a small square of extra , or, more commonly, the hearth is replaced with a full mat, totally hiding the hearth. It is customary to avoid stepping on this centre mat whenever possible, as well as to avoid placing the hands palm-down on it, as it functions as a kind of table: tea utensils are placed on it for viewing, and prepared bowls of tea are placed on it for serving to the guests. To avoid stepping on it people may walk around it on the other mats, or shuffle on the hands and knees. Except when walking, when moving about on the tatami one places one's closed fists on the mats and uses them to pull oneself forward or push backwards while maintaining a position. There are dozens of real and imaginary lines that crisscross any tearoom. These lines used to determine the exact placement of utensils and myriad other details; when performed by skilled practitioners, the placement of utensils will vary minutely from gathering to gathering. The are used as one guide for placement, and the joins serve as a demarcation indicating where people should sit. provide a more comfortable surface for sitting -style. At certain times of year (primarily during the Japanese New Year) the portions of the where guests sit may be covered with a red felt cloth.
Hanging scroll Calligraphy, mainly in the form of
hanging scrolls, plays a central role in tea. Scrolls, often written by famous calligraphers or Buddhist monks, are hung in the (scroll alcove) of the tea room. They are selected based on the theme of the occasion and season. Calligraphic scrolls may feature Buddhism,
poems, descriptions of famous places, or words or phrases associated with tea. Historian and author Haga Kōshirō points out that it is clear from the teachings of Sen no Rikyū recorded in the that the suitability of any particular scroll for a tea gathering depends not only on the subject of the writing itself but also on the virtue of the writer. Haga points out that Rikyū preferred to hang ("ink traces"), the calligraphy of Zen Buddhist priests, in the tea room. A typical example of a hanging scroll in a tea room might have the kanji , expressing the four key principles of the Way of Tea. Some contain only a single character. For example, in summer, would be appropriate. Hanging scrolls that feature a painting instead of calligraphy, or a combination of both, are also used. Scrolls are sometimes placed in the waiting room as well.
Flower arrangement (literally "tea flower") is the simple style of flower arrangement used in tea rooms. has its roots in , an older style of Japanese flower arranging, which itself has roots in
Shinto and
Buddhism. It evolved from the "free-form" style of called , which was used by early tea masters. was developed by Sen no Rikyū. He is said to have taught that should give the viewer the same impression that those flowers naturally would give if they were still growing outdoors, in nature. Unnatural or out-of-season materials are never used, as well as props and other devices. The containers in which are arranged are referred to generically as . arrangements typically comprise few items, and little or no filler material. In the summer, when many flowering grasses are in season in Japan, however, it is seasonally appropriate to arrange a number of such flowering grasses in an airy basket-type container. Unlike (which often uses shallow, wide dishes), tall, narrow are frequently used in . The containers for the flowers used in tea rooms are typically made from natural materials such as bamboo, as well as metal or ceramic, but rarely glass as (another flower arrangement) uses short, glass vases. arrangements are so simple that frequently no more than a single
blossom is used; this blossom will invariably lean towards or face the guests.
Meal plate, next to an
Ido ware filled with green or is a meal served in the context of a formal tea function. In , only fresh seasonal ingredients are used, prepared in ways that aim to enhance their flavour. Great care is taken in selecting ingredients and types of food, and the finished dishes are carefully presented on serving ware that is chosen to enhance the appearance and seasonal theme of the meal. Dishes are intricately arranged and garnished, often with real edible leaves and flowers that are to help enhance the flavour of the food. Serving ware and garnishes are as much a part of the experience as the food; some might argue that the aesthetic experience of seeing the food is even more important than the physical experience of eating it. Courses are served in small servings in individual dishes. Each diner has a small lacquered tray to themselves; very important people may be provided their own low, lacquered table or several small tables. Because generally follows traditional eating habits in Japan, meat dishes are rare.
Clothing Many of the movements and components of tea ceremonies evolved from the wearing of
kimono. For example, certain movements are designed to keep dangling sleeves out of the way or prevent them from becoming dirty. Other motions allow for the straightening of the
kimono and the . Some aspects of tea ceremony – such as the use of silk cloths – cannot be performed without wearing a
kimono and , or a belt substitute, as the cloth is folded and tucked into the within the ceremony. Other items, such as , smaller cloths known as , and
fans, require
kimono collars, sleeves and the worn with them in order to be used throughout the ceremony; otherwise, a substitute for storing these items on the person must be found. For this reason, most tea ceremonies are conducted in
kimono, and though students may practice wearing Western clothes, students of tea ceremony will need to wear
kimono at some point. On formal occasions, the host of the tea ceremony will always wear
kimono, and for guests, formal
kimono or Western formal wear must be worn. No matter the style of clothing, the attire worn at a tea gathering is usually subdued and conservative, so as not to be distracting. For women, the type of
kimono worn is usually an – a solid-colour, unpatterned
kimono, worn with a in an appropriate fabric;
slub-weave silks, patterns and generally bright-coloured are not worn. kimono may also be worn, as their patterns are small enough as to be unobtrusive. Men may wear
kimono only, or (for more formal occasions) a combination of
kimono and (a long, divided or undivided skirt worn over the
kimono). Those who have earned the right may wear a
kimono with a or jacket instead of . Women wear various styles of
kimono depending on the season and the event; women generally do not wear for tea occasions or . Lined
kimono are worn by both men and women in the winter months, and unlined
kimono are worn in the summer. For formal occasions, (
kimono with three to five
family crests on the sleeves and back) are worn. Both men and women wear white (divided-toe socks). == Schools ==