Deep Japan
Tradition, dignity, prestage, hospitality, asthetics and gustatory. Have you ever experienced any Japanese entertainment which has all of them? A Chakai, one of the most traditional hospitality culture in Japan which has over 700 years history, will be held only for you. Once you knock the door, you will sink into the deepest part of Japan and it will be one of your most remarkable experience in your life.
Bushido and Zen is well-known Japanese spiritual cultures. Tea ceremony and Zen were conbined by Jukoh Murata in 550 years ago, and it had been grown up by samurais throught Zen thought since then. It also have been grown up by many peaople who has wealth and power since Meiji era (1868-1912) when samurai were banned from society for revolution, but the spirit didn’t die. Tea ceremony were with Zen thought and Samurai spirit which is known as Bushido always, but it have changed when the ladies have started to learn tea ceremony instead of gents.
Unfortunately ladies didn’t understand samurai spirit, thus tea ceremony changed its style from samurai’s vulture to ladies’ polite fictions. However fortunately, tea ceremony have kept its life and became the basis of Japanese polite fictions, and it became the comprehensive culture which contains zen thought, samurai polite fictions, aesthetics, food culture, but not Bushido since Taisho and Showa era (1912-1989).
Please imagine if the Bushido came back to tea ceremony in this moment? Chabito’s tea ceremony is very realize of Bushido, and the hospitality contains ladie’s thoughtful consideration with care and samurai’s resolution for face seriously to matcha and guest.
Several weeks of preparation, and spending that in few hours. This is like an orinpian’s preparation for their game, and it will make you satisfied with your wonderful time.
The procedure of tea ceremony (The Chakai)
Welcoming
The host will welcome you to tea room and he will serve you a kashi (Japanese cake). While you are enjoying kashi, host will do the orientation of how to enjoy and basic manners of tea ceremony.
Kashi is produced by the host and patisier with deep considering to represent each seasons and the theme of the tea ceremony for you.
Koicha Session
Koicha, the thick matcha, is often compared to espresso. This is very climax of a tea ceremony (chakai), it is also pronounced main dish. Koicha term is the time of most luxurious. It actually tenses host very much, because this term is the biggest point of host’s hospitality.
Koicha is quite thick. The bitterness of koicha has indescribable sweetness and very aromatic flavor. In the silent pregnant with tension, koicha’s taste is excellent bliss. The aromatic bliss will spread in your mouth, stomach, and nose.
Usually making koicha is quite difficult as even over 50 years trained people cannot make it perfect. Very good teacher and very good training of making matcha and zen thought trough long years are neccesary to draw out the potential of matcha. To make koicha perfect, preparedness of risking host’s own life is needed, too. Without those resolution, potential of matcha is not be able to drawn out.
Making one’s self ‘nothing’ by host is very important when making koicha. Putting matcha into chawan (bowl), picking up chasen (tea whisk), then become ‘nothing’. This is the most significant procedure of making koicha, and matcha never shows its potential if the ‘nothing’ is not enough. Tea ceremony is not only ‘the lesson of manners’, but also training each one’s self based on zen thought.
100% drawn out koicha spreads its noble sweetness and elegant aroma into your mouth. Rikyu Sen, the holy master of tea ceremony, have designed chaji as it becomes the perfect entertainment through enjoying koicha’s taste in 450 years ago.
The tea room is set with dim light, and the tense of room focus your sence to feel, taste, and enjoy a cup of koicha. This is very main dish of a chaji.
Gozumi, Adding Charcoal Sessio
Usucha Session
The most popular matcha’s correct name is Usucha. The usucha is served after Koicha as a desert of Koicha session to hydrate your throat with its light taste.
The highlight of this session is host’s natural body moving. He uses his body core instead of shoulder and arms to maintain his zen ‘nothing’. He thinks about himself as he is the lowest classed tea ware, he omits useless or unnecessary movements to pay high respect to each tea wares which are saved and maitained for long years.
The difference is found especially when the host makes matcha. Most of all tea masters scrach bottom of tea cup by chasen (tea whisk) when they whisk, but Chabito doesn’t. Most of all tea masters need to grab chawan when they whiskes matcha, but Chabito doesn’t. Most of all tea masters don’t care about the sound of pouring water into something, but Chabito does to represent the natural water spiring. This strict style shows how professional Chabito is.
Chabito thinks matcha is the highest classed tea ware. When he scoops, he doesn’t put ‘into’ the cup, but he puts ‘onto’ the bottom of chawan (tea cup) softly. This means he trys not to stress matcha.
Even while he is making Usucha, he doesn’t forget to entertain guests for their joy. ‘He just shows the traditonal culture’, ‘She just makes matcha well’ are not good ehough idea to entertain the guest. Chabito proudly introduce you the ultimate hospitality room as trancesending time-space through over 5 senses, watching, touching, smelling, listening, tasting, and more.
Usucha deserves to the conclusion of a Chakai. This is very ultimate matcha entertainment, and the heart of tea ceremony. Koicha session was very serious and silent, vice versa Usucha session is frank and reluxing. This contrast is also one of the feature of a Chakai, and it will really take you back to 450 years of history.
See Off and Farewell
When Usucha session finishes, the procedure of your Chakai is finished. Guests will leave from the tea room, and the host will see off them.
From the begenning till seeing off, 2 hours of your remarkable experience will be not just experience, but it’s gonna be written in a page of your life. Please feel and enjoy a Chakai which is tottaly prepared only for you, and get a memoriable recollection.