Japanese Tea Ceremony at Gyokuro No Sato Teahouse
After spending five days in Tokyo alone, it’s time for me to meet other couch surfers who are also travelling in Japan. Mochan, a fellow couch surfer and founder of Wish Club, organized a 5-day road trip for all of us in his small van which would take us to different places which he thinks would interest us.
The good thing about this trip is that it’s more of a road trip with friends rather than a tour. Aside from well-known tourist attractions in Japan, Mochan took us to places only few foreign visitors would go.
One of the things we did today was attending a tea ceremony at Gyokuro No Sato Teahouse. We had no idea where we were but it was somewhere bucolic and peaceful.
The Gyokuro No Sato Teahouse is in a quiet area where its surrounding landscape is nice and natural.
When we told to enter the tea ceremony room, we were surprised to be directed at a tiny door where we had to crawl. It was just like a tiny square window but it is positioned below.
Later, Mochan told us that the door is designed like that so people who go inside bow their heads as a sign of respect to their superior. The room was intended to be small so that people can talk to each other as a sign of friendship and harmony.
The mat was already ready when we came in.
The host came in with a small kettle.
She prepared everything right in front of us. Her hand movements were gentle and she did everything in the most detailed ways.
When our tea was served in a cup, we were told to smell the tea first before drinking. After that, the sweets were served by another server.
After the tea ceremony we were allowed to roam around the teahouse. And before we left, we treated ourselves to a tea ice cream. It was, for sure, better than the tea. 😀
JAPAN IS THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN
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