Ohayou gozaimasu, mina... Here i come again with my favorite talk that is chanoyu...

Well Chanoyu it's also called Sadou or Chadou in Japanese. What is Chanoyu? Chanoyu is Japanese tea ceremony but the word chanoyu has meaning hot water for tea. Chanoyu is primary influenced by Zen Buddhism, which it really focus of preparing and serving a bowl of tea with a pure heart. So, when we hold the bowl and drink the tea, it's must with elegant and respectfull manner.

From the web of Chanoyu, History of chanoyu is began from tea was first introduced to Japan from China with Buddhism in the sixth century. It wasn't until 1191 that tea really took hold in Japan with the return from China of the Zen priest Eisai (1141-1215). Eisai, the founder of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism in Japan, introduced powdered tea and tea seeds that he brought back with him from China. The tea seeds were planted by his friend the priest Myoe (1173-1232) at the Kozanji temple in the hills northwest of Kyoto. And untill now, its become the chanoyu like all we know. Amazing....

Also, there are principles of chanoyu, that are:

This principle is important in chanoyu because it's a reflection of pure heart, harmony in life, true respect and the beginning once again of process wa, kei, sei, with fresh and enlightened heart/ jaku.. This principle was left by tea master, Sen Rikyu ( 1522-1591).

Okay, now we will talk about tea equipment/ chadogu in japanese, that used in chanoyu. I think most of all you have known, what is it. I just explained equipment that commonly used in chanoyu, such as:

Chakin: It's a linen clothes that used to wipe tea bowl and usually have a small rectangular shapes.

Chawan: It's a tea bowl that used for preparing and drinking tea in chanoyu. It has a wide ranges of size and style and the bowls are frequently named by their creators or owners, or by a tea master.

Natsume: It's a tea caddy that name natsume came from natsume fruit/ jujube. It has a short with a flat lid and rounded bottom, and is usually made of lacquered or untreated wood. It's served Usucha ( thin tea) and used for placed powdered tea for making tea procedure.

Chasaku: a tea-scoops are carved from a single piece of bamboo or ivory. It is an important utensil to get the matcha proportions correct. They are used to scoop tea from the natsume into the chawan. Different styles and colors are used in various tea traditions. I very like chasaku shapes, i think it's lovely..

Chasen : It' a Tea-whisks are carved from a single piece of bamboo. Though they are a necessary part to serve tea, Chasen whisks themselves aren't considered as Dōgu. Chasen are made of three kinds of bamboo: They are either made of smoked bamboo, fresh bamboo, or dried bamboo, and their heads are either fine, medium, or rough. It used to mix the powdered tea with the hot water.

Hisshaku : It is a long bamboo ladle with a nodule in the approximate center of the handle. It is used to transfer hot water from the iron pot (kama) to the Chawan when making tea.

Kama/ Chanoyugama : It's an iron pot or kettle. The kama is used to heat up the water for making the tea. The Kama is made from iron or copper. The Kama has a lit (futa) which is removed when starting to make tea and placed back at the end when all guests have had enough cups of tea.

Kobukusa/ Dashikubusa: A cloth approximately 15.15 cm or 6 inches square, which, unlike the cloth called Fukusa, is generally of richer and thicker, brocaded and patterned fabric. Both the people on the hosting side of a tea ceremony , as well as the guests, should each carry one. If wearing kimono, it is kept in the breast of the kimono. Guests not wearing kimono might carry it in their Kaishi wallet. The kobukusa is sometimes used by guests to protect the tea implements whilst examining them

Kobukusa in the breast of kimono

Also. there a special rooms for chanoyu, we called it chasitsu, a tatami floored room. It has a low ceiling; a hearth built into the floor; shoji screens; an alcove for hanging scrolls and placing other decorative objects; and several entrances for host and guests.

Usually there a Wagashi (Japanese sweets) are usually served before drinking matcha (powdered green tea) during a traditional Chanoyu gathering. Wagashi can also be enjoyed with good quality Japanese steeped green tea (sencha). And most of tea that served in chanoyu is matcha , a powdered green tea.

Last Wednesday, because it a last day of lecturing Bunka Taiken, so we learned about chanoyu. I was so amazed with the class and really admired Sensei tachi, who teached us about chanoyu.

First, we were served with wagashi, here the pictures of wagashi that i ate.

So delicious and sweet

Also, i just knowed that chanoyu has a different tea ceremony. When i read in wikipedia, Chanoyu that i attended is ryūrei style, the tea is prepared with the host seated at a special table. In ryūrei there is usually an assistant who sits near the host and moves the host's seat out of the way as needed for standing or sitting..

misonodana, a table set for chanoyu

And i just realized that i made a mistakes when i turned the chawan, i hold in with wrong way too. And the sensei said if after the tea is served to us, we must turn the chawan twice with clockwise style and drink it three times too, after we finish, we must turn back the chawan with the same position as we received the chawan first time.

The tea is warm and for me its not too bitter.The taste is choudo ii/ fit with my imagination.

I'm so nervous when i attended the class but i learned so much thing from chanoyu, that is the pure things. For me, chanoyu is not only about the tea ceremony or tea that served to us but its more about how we as human doing our life that should noticed the principles of wa ( harmony), kei ( respect) to all thing thats means not only to human but how we respect all things in this world, sei ( purity) the open and fresh mind and heart for ourselves and the last is juku ( tranquilty) which for me it means that how we learn to humble because we will do everything from the begining even we already be in a top position. Amazing, isn't it.
I was really glad coud attend this chanoyu class and i hope i can attend another chanoyu class again. Thank you for Sensei tachi that have been teach us about everything of Japanese culture, also i want to say thank you to BINUS UNIVERSITY that have gave us an opportunity to us, so we able to improve our knowledge about Japanese culture. Thank you for Ratna Sensei, Sita Sensei and all Sensei....
Honto ni arigatou gozaimasu...
Well this is a farewell guys, we will talk again ... Thank's for the read and bye bye.....

At least i take some picture in chanoyu class together with my friend and Sensei tachi... Thanks to Queen that have taken the pictures for us, Thank's Queen, the picture is great >.<....