The last few days were relatively uneventful, discounting the typhoon that blew through Japan. It missed Hiroshima, leaving us with just a bit of heavy rain and a strong, gusty wind that lasted all of a day. Oh well. We've been working really hard leading up to the exam today, on the 23 of June.
After class, we proceeded to the nearby Japanese Tea Garden and took part in the Japanese Tea Ceremony. I found it to be both elegant and delicious, with especially beautiful ceramicware. I do believe it was this day that my fascination with Japanese ceramics began. It was quite a fun time! The procedure is like so:
Outside the tea house, you wash before entering. The washing is both for cleanliness and ritual - there's a certain way to wash. First, you wash your left hand, then your right, then you pantomime drinking some water (you used to actually drink it, but everyone washes their hands in the same water - not clean!), then you pour the rest out via rocking the dipper up and away from you. This method of washing is repeated at many Shinto shrines.
Once entering, you walk in only on stocking feet. This applies to any tatami matted area in all of Japan (and even the world - I would kill someone if they walked on a tatami I had with their shoes). The tokonoma is a focal point of the room as are the split level shelves (look up the name of these). You find a spot on the floor and sit seiza style, knees underneath you, sitting on your heels and balancing on your shins.
The first serving is mochi, a sticky sweet treat made from glutenous rice paste and flavoring. I know it sounds gross, but it is incredibly delicious. A sweet treat like this is given to offset the slightly bitter taste of the tea.
Then the tea is served - hot, freshly whisked with bamboo tools. You raise the bowl to your eyes and look at it, rotate it two 90 degree turns, drink the tea in several sips (all of it!), wipe the rim, rotate it two more 90 degree turns (same direction, counterclockwise), and set it back on the tatami. If you don't follow the protocol, it is considered very impolite.
After participating in the ceremony, we got a chance to try it ourselves - it was a lot of fun!