Japanese Tea Room

Traditional Japanese tea ceremony is held in this room. It's beauty lies in its complete and stark simplicity.

What is commonly known in English as the Japanese tea ceremony is called sadō or chadō (茶道, "the way of tea"), or chanoyu (茶の湯, literally "hot water for tea") in Japanese. It is a multifaceted traditional activity in which matcha (抹茶, powdered green tea, is ceremonially prepared and served. Zen Buddhism was integral to its development, and this influence pervades many aspects of tea ceremony.

Tea gatherings are known as chakai (literally "tea meeting") or chaji (literally "tea function"). Usually the term chakai is used to refer to a relatively simple course of hospitality that includes the service of confections, usucha (thin tea), and perhaps tenshin (a light snack), while chaji refers to a more formal gathering usually including a full-course meal called kaiseki (懐石?) or more specifically cha-kaiseki (茶懐石?), followed by confections, koicha (thick tea), and usucha (thin tea). A chaji may last for more than four hours.

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