The preparation and the process that takes place during and before the tea ceremony.
The preparation for the tea ceremony is fairly simple, but strict. Each step has fixed movement and the used utensils have to be placed at certain spots on the Tatami mat. The placements of the utensils can be different depending on the region and the seasons the ceremony takes place in.
Usually the first thing that is served into the Chashitsu is a dish with Japanese traditional sweets, Wagashi. The host, Teishu will place the dish in front of the guests and inform the guests that the wagashi are sweets for them to eat after bowing. However, the guests may not eat the sweets until the Teishu has warmed the pot of hot water and discarded the water used to clean the tea bowl.
The host, will greet the guests with a bow and the other guests guests would return the bow silently. The host, Teishu, would arrange her clothes so that the process would be comfortable. When she is ready, the Chawan would be picked up using the right hand, transferred to the left then put down in front of the knees using the right hand. Then the Teishu would clean the Natsume, Chashaku, and the Chasen with the fukasa, a linen cloth. The host would pour some warm water onto the Chawan and tilt the tea bowl in an anti-clockwise motion three times to warm the tea bowl and then discard the water into the kensui using her left hand.
When the process of cleansing and warming the utensils are over, the host would scoop one and a half spoons of Matcha into the tea bowl using Chashaku. Then she would remove the lid from the tea kettle and scoop hot water into the Chawan using Hishaku. She would wisk the tea powder and water together holding the Chasen in the right hand.
After, the tea is made perfectly with foam floating in the center the host would serve to the guests.
Usually the first thing that is served into the Chashitsu is a dish with Japanese traditional sweets, Wagashi. The host, Teishu will place the dish in front of the guests and inform the guests that the wagashi are sweets for them to eat after bowing. However, the guests may not eat the sweets until the Teishu has warmed the pot of hot water and discarded the water used to clean the tea bowl.
The host, will greet the guests with a bow and the other guests guests would return the bow silently. The host, Teishu, would arrange her clothes so that the process would be comfortable. When she is ready, the Chawan would be picked up using the right hand, transferred to the left then put down in front of the knees using the right hand. Then the Teishu would clean the Natsume, Chashaku, and the Chasen with the fukasa, a linen cloth. The host would pour some warm water onto the Chawan and tilt the tea bowl in an anti-clockwise motion three times to warm the tea bowl and then discard the water into the kensui using her left hand.
When the process of cleansing and warming the utensils are over, the host would scoop one and a half spoons of Matcha into the tea bowl using Chashaku. Then she would remove the lid from the tea kettle and scoop hot water into the Chawan using Hishaku. She would wisk the tea powder and water together holding the Chasen in the right hand.
After, the tea is made perfectly with foam floating in the center the host would serve to the guests.