On Wednesday afternoon we traveled to Yokohama for a traditional tea ceremony.

The first thing I noticed when we exited the train station in Yokohama was a gigantic ferris wheel set against the city’s skyline. It reminded me of the cover of Katamari Damacy, a Japanese video game that got popular in the United States.

We proceeded toward the Landmark Tower, which is the tallest building in Japan. Although it may not seem very high by American standards, its important to keep in mind that Japan is a very seismically active area. There have actually been three earthquakes since we’ve arrived, although I actually slept through all of them.

Once inside, we took the elevator up 65 floors to the Zen garden. Although this seems like a strange place to have a tea ceremony, the view was incredible.

The area we were in was incredibly calming and peaceful. There was a path of large stepping stones through a river of pebbles. A trickling fountain added to the ambiance.

The room in which the ceremony was held was done in traditional Japanese home style. The floor was a group of straw mats, rice paper covered the windows, and an ikebana (simple flower arrangement) display gave a distinct Japanese feel.

Our ceremony leaders were dressed in a traditional Japanese outfit called a kimono. There are several aspects to the outfit including the inner robe, outer robe, sash, handkerchief, socks, and small wooden sandals.

To begin the tea ceremony, took off our shoes and knelt around the perimeter of the room. Our ceremony leader described the origins and purpose of the tea ceremony. Basically, tea began being imported to Japan in about 600 B.C., and has been part of the culture ever since. The purpose of the tea ceremony is to focus the mind and cleanse the body, helping to achieve inner peace and wisdom (also known as Zen).

We were served a couple of Japanese candies. There was a purple leaf-shaped treat that was filled with firm gelatin and a pink cookie that tasted like a very sugary wafer. We were then served something that may have been a tea rice ball; I honestly have no idea what it was. It tasted slightly sweet and a little like bitter tea or seaweed.

Our hostess then prepared the actual tea from powdered green tea leaves and boiling water. There is an intricate process to the preparation that involves whisking the tea and water to gether to make it just slightly frothy.
As the tea is served, you bow to the cup. You pick it up with your left hand, and use your right hand to rotate the cup once to display it’s pattern. You then bring both hands to your mouth and drink the tea. It’s flavor is unlike any other tea I have tasted, both bitter and strong.

When the ceremony was complete, we got to learn how to make the tea.

While we learned the art of making traditional Japanese tea, I felt very calm and relaxed. Not sleepy, just very peaceful. I’ll have to figure out where to get the powdered tea leaves once I get back home.