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      • 05 Modern day Nagase St. - flash backs from the past
      • 06 Around Oribe Street
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      • The ascending kiln
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      • The Festival - Oh, What a Night!
      • The Life of an American Japanese
      • Festivals in Tajimi
      • 2018 in Tajimi - Visually
      • Film - A day in Tajimi
      • Virtual Travel - The day when Our World Shrank
      • Blessings in a calamitous year (part 01)
      • Blessings in a calamitous year (part 02)
      • Flower Viewing Beyond the Crowds
      • Manga: The Kappa Scene
      • Shidekobushi - the rare Magnolias of the Tono region
    • History >
      • A Failed Coup d'etat - And the Death of a Tajimi Samurai
  • エッセイ
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    • 外国人観光客へのサービスを充実させる取り組み
    • 焼物の町 多治見で茶道のあれこれ (Part 01)
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    • ​多治見に訪れた人たち、そしてその後
    • 焼物の町、多治見まち歩き 小名田/高田 ​パート1
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      • 焼物の町、多治見まち歩き 小名田/高田 ​パート2 不動明王の滝
      • 焼物の町、多治見まち歩き 高田/小名田 ​パート3 水月窯
      • 多治見歴史探索ウォーキング - 土岐川の北側
      • ながせ通りウォーキング 昔の姿に思いを馳せながら
      • おりべストリート周辺 - パート1
      • 多治見 銀座通り
      • 市之倉町 多治見の小さな陶器の町(パート1))
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    • 陶器・タイル >
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      • 美濃焼物語 (Part 1)
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      • 美濃焼物語 (Part 03)
      • 美濃焼物語 (Part 04)
      • 美濃焼物語 (Part 05)
      • 美濃焼ルネッサンスのルーツ
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    • 東濃弁でカルタ遊び
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EXPLORE The Tea Ceremony in Tajimi

​Pottery, People, and Places

PArt one

THE event and THE SPACE

By Hans Karlsson


Audio introduction


Picture
An Italian student at Ho-Ca experiences her first tea ceremony.
​Ah, my dear friend, let me regale you with a tale of the Japanese tea ceremony, a delightful cultural tradition that has been practised for centuries in the Land of the Rising Sun. You see, this ceremony, also known as Chanoyu, Chado, or Sado, is a rather splendid way of preparing and drinking green tea, involving very particular places, procedures, and equipment.
​
Now, this tea ceremony has its roots in the principles of Zen Buddhism, and it's all about the reverence of beauty in our daily lives. It's a rather aesthetic way of welcoming guests, where everything is done according to an established order, much like a well-choreographed dance. The origins of this ritual can be traced back to China, and it was first practised in Japan during the Kamakura period by Zen monks who apparently needed a little pick-me-up to stay awake during those long meditation sessions. Over time, the tea ceremony evolved, thanks in part to the 16th-century monk and tea master Sen no Rikyu, who added a touch of refinement and intimacy to the whole affair.
​
Picture
The tea utensils in the tea master's corner in the Kamawa-an tea room in Tajimi
In the Japanese tea ceremony, everyone sits on the floor, and all the guests share a single tea bowl, which is like the star of the ritual. This is quite different from the Chinese style tea ceremony, where loose-leaf tea is used, and the focus is more on the enjoyment and taste of the tea itself. The mightiest warlords in mediaeval Japan loved the tea ceremony and the tea bowls, and the tea room was a place where they could meet important people during the long civil war in Japan.
​
Nowadays, the tea ceremony is enjoyed by many as a hobby, and there are even places where tourists can experience it for themselves. It's become a quintessential part of Japanese culture, representing harmony, respect, purity, and tranquilly. This time we will introduce two places in Tajimi where you can enjoy the ceremony in an unpretentious and fun way, as well as the space where the ceremony is performed.

So, my dear, as you sip your tea and ponder the intricacies of this ancient tradition, remember to cherish the moment and the connections it fosters. After all, as the Japanese idiom "ichi go ichi e" reminds us, each encounter is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

​Ho-ca’s Ocha-kai

In the quaint town of Tajimi, the Ho-Ca studio has become quite the hotspot for globe-trotting pottery enthusiasts. These artistic adventurers often find themselves drawn to the creation of chawan, or tea bowls, despite their often limited knowledge of the tea ceremony where these delightful vessels take centre stage. You see, the chawan is not merely a bowl but a symbol deeply intertwined with the art of Sado. So, dear aspiring chawan creator, we humbly suggest that you immerse yourself in a tea ceremony to truly grasp the essence of your craft.
However, be warned! Sado, the way of tea, is a rich and complex culture that may prove elusive to the uninitiated. Fear not, for Ho-Ca has devised a solution: a less formal tea party for its eager students. This delightful gathering offers a more approachable introduction to the world of chawan and its significance, ensuring that your pottery pursuits are steeped in understanding.

Allow me to regale you with a tale of Shibata-sensei, the esteemed master at Ho-Ca. In the picturesque town of Tajimi, nestled within the ceramic park and the Gifu Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, lies a charming tea room. Here, our venerable sensei and his assistant tea master shall guide you through a delightfully simplified tea ceremony, where you shall learn the art of receiving a bowl of exquisite macha and partaking in traditional sweets.
​
Picture
Pottery master Shibata admires a tea bowl before drinking his tea. In front traditional sweets that are served to each guest in the ritual.
Ho-Ca is diligently refining this experience, striving to make it as accessible and light-hearted as possible. Imagine the joy of using your very own handcrafted bowl in this ceremony, lending a newfound significance to your creation.
​
But the festivities do not end there, my dear reader. Shibata-sensei is known to host splendid soirées where one can indulge in a smorgasbord of local delicacies and student-prepared dishes. Picture, if you will, a recent gathering where a lovely Italian student regaled us with her Sicilian-style spaghetti, having earlier graced the tea ceremony in a resplendent yukata. Ah, the memories we make in such delightful company!
​
Picture
In the evening, Shibata-sensei likes to have a party with local foods and drinks. Students cook as well - here Sicilian pasta on two big plates. Delicious!

​The Kamawa-an Tea Room in Tajimi

​Now allow me to regale you with a tale of Japanese tea rooms, or chashitsu, where simplicity and modesty reign supreme, influenced by the 16th-century tea master Sen no Rikyu. Rikyu extolled the virtues of rustic simplicity, seclusion, and the Wabi-sabi philosophy, with a focus on local craftsmanship.
​
​In this delightful narrative, I recount my visit to a modern tea room, which, while adhering to traditional principles, boasts a unique theme. The gracious Mr. Takaya Kato, owner of the establishment, kindly escorted me on a tour, which I captured on video for your viewing pleasure.
​
In this video, Mr Takaya Kato guides us through the newly built Kamawa-an tea room in the centre of Tajimi City. He appears in casual dress, but during the tea ceremonies he wears a formal tea master attire.


Imagine, dear reader, witnessing Mr. Kato presenting the tokonoma in glorious stereoscopic 180VR video, allowing you to virtually step inside the tea room. To experience this marvel with a Meta Quest headset, simply refer to the information at the bottom of this page. The presentation features an English voiceover, guiding you through the intricacies of the tokonoma—an alcove in a traditional Japanese tea room used for displaying art and other decorative items, such as hanging scrolls, flower arrangements, and calligraphy.
​
Picture
By putting on a VR headset you can experience the tea room as if you were physically there
​Contemporary tea room aesthetics artfully blend traditional and modern elements, maintaining simplicity and modesty. Architects experiment with materials and designs, creating minimalist interiors adorned with tatami mats, natural wood, and glass or plastic materials. Modern tea rooms may also incorporate indoor plants, small trees, and striking architectural designs.
In Tajimi, a town renowned for pottery, a local group has crafted a serene and tranquil space inspired by the tradition of tea and themed on pottery. 
​
The tea room, Kamawa-an, is built according to ancient tradition but is unique in its subtle nods to the local ceramic culture. Even the gravel in the karesansui, or Japanese dry garden, outside is material used for ceramics production, as are the little white balls displayed in the tokonoma. Materials from the renovation of the 140-year-old house have been carefully repurposed in the modern-looking space, which is more spacious than many historical tea rooms. Imagine a tea room where the walls are lovingly crafted from heat-resistant bricks, the very same used in kilns, and adorned with Mino washi paper from the local region. The result is a delightful and inviting atmosphere that simply warms the heart. The space feels even more expansive when the wall facing the garden is elevated by a motor, allowing the outside and inside to blend seamlessly—a feature seen in many old Japanese buildings.

​Mr. Kato and his group plan to open the space for those who wish to partake in the tea ceremony, an experience particularly popular among foreign tourists. You are most welcome to make inquiries on our Contact page. So, immerse yourself in this enchanting world of tea and tradition, where the past and present converge in harmonious union.

​EXPERIENCE THE KAMAWA-AN IN VIRTUAL REALITY

Picture
​We recorded a short presentation by Mr. Takaya Kato, where he shows us the tokono-ma in the Kamawa-an tea room. The Tokono-ma is the most important place in the room, where important objects and symbolism can be found. You will need a VR headset to step into the room and meet Mr. Kato. Access the 2-minute experience in the free YouTube VR application for the Mea Quest headset by searching for “Kamawa-an”. You can also use the free DeoVR application and search for “Tajimi”.

​FUN FACTS ABOUT THE TEA CEREMONY IN JAPAN

  • In the year 815, the monk Eichu returned from China, where tea had already been consumed for more than a thousand years, and personally prepared sencha for the Emperor Saga. This event marked the beginning of the tea ceremony's connection to Zen Buddhism in Japan. (1)
  • The Kamakura period (1192–1333) marked a significant development in the tea ceremony, as it became more ritualised and connected to Zen Buddhism, which is why it is often said that the tea ceremony was first practised in Japan during this period.
  • "The appreciation of tea expanded from temples to include the warrior class. Early tea gatherings included contests, alcohol, and gambling, along with showing off expensive tea utensils imported from China. As time passed, elements from these early gatherings simplified and evolved into the tea ceremony (chanoyu or sado, the “way of tea”) practiced today". (2)
  • These rather crude customs started to fade, partly thanks to the most famous tea master of all, Sen no Rikyo. However, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the ruler at the time, ordered him to commit seppuku (ritual suicide). The exact reasons remain unclear.


1) ​Source: Japan National Tourism Organisation 
2) Source: Sarah B. Hodge, Tokyo Weekender.

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  • Home
  • About Tajimi
    • Tajimi Tourism Association
    • Free E-books
    • Navigate >
      • Eat & Drink in Tajimi (TOP) >
        • Restaurant Finder
        • Local food and Drink >
          • Food - Wild Yam a treat for the New Year
          • Food - Eel à la tajimienne
          • Drink - Sake in Tajimi
          • Drink - Sake. "Excellently Dry"
          • Food: Cook a local snack - Gohei mochi
          • Food: The History of the Gohei mochi
      • Plan your trip to Tajimi and Gifu
      • See >
        • Places
        • Historical figures
      • Mino Ware >
        • Famous kilns in Tajimi - a pottery town in Gifu prefecture, Japan
        • Mino ware ceramics and pottery Shopping
        • Pottery and ceramics galleries in Tajimi, Japan
        • Courses, equipment and stores for Potters
      • Experience >
        • Pottery Workshops in Tajimi, Japan
        • Pottery painting & Tile Art experiences in Tajimi
        • Fruit Picking in Tajimi
      • Eat & Drink in Tajimi >
        • Restaurants
        • Cafes & Confectionaries
        • Unagappa Sweets
        • Tajimi Yakisoba
      • Souvernirs
      • Currency Converter
      • Getting around
      • Lodging
    • Event Calendar
  • News index
  • Essays
    • Pottery Retreats - A Creative Escape
    • Tajimi partners with local businesses to improve services for foreign tourists
    • The tea Ceremony in Tajimi: Pottery, People, and Places (Part 01)
    • The tea Ceremony in Tajimi: Pottery, People, and Places (Part 02)
    • To Tajimi and back: foreign visitors' impressions of our city
    • Walking in Tajimi >
      • 01 Walking in Takata - Onada
      • 02 Walking in Tajimi - The Immovable Wisdom King
      • 03 Walking in Tajimi - Suigetsu Kiln
      • 04 Walking in Tajimi - North of Toki
      • 05 Modern day Nagase St. - flash backs from the past
      • 06 Around Oribe Street
      • 07 The Tajimi Ginza Arcade Area
      • 08 Ichinokura - The Pottery Town (Part 01)
      • 09 Ichinokura - The Pottery Town (Part 02)
    • Cycling in Tajimi
    • Ceramics >
      • Makigama Fair in Tajimi
      • Ceramics Festival Mino 24
      • The Story of Mino Ware >
        • The roots of the Mino ware renaissance
        • The Story of Mino Ware (Part 1)
        • The Story of Mino Ware (Part 02)
        • The Story of Mino Ware (Part 03)
        • The Story of Mino Ware (Part 04)
        • Beyond Mino Ware (Part 05)
      • The ascending kiln
      • Kobe Kiln: Tradition-meets-innovation
      • A polar bear's pottery performance
      • Shiro Tenmoku (01): The first reproduction in 500 years
      • Shiro Tenmoku (02): The first reproduction in 500 years
      • Finland Meets Tajimi
      • Ceramic treats in Tajimi - a Mini Tour
      • Learning pottery at the Ho-Ca workshop
      • Master Potter Hidetake Ando
      • Brave New Pottery - 3rd Ceramics
      • English Guided Tours 2019
      • Ikuhiko Shibata - Not Your Ordinary Potter
      • Kasahara - the Tile Kingdom
      • The Mosaic Princess Tile Enthusiasts
      • Striking Gold in Mino 2021
      • Toso - the Legacy of a Mysterious Master Potter
      • A Muromachi Style Kiln Firing
    • Life in Tajimi >
      • Tono-ben: Great Ice-breaker phrases for the traveler >
        • Tono-ben Karta - a card game
        • Tono-ben; Everybody Loves Fumi-chan
        • Learn Tono-ben (Karuta cards)
      • From Tokyo to Tajimi: My Life in a Seemingly Ordinary Rural Town (Part 1)
      • From Tokyo to Tajimi (Part 2): About a future where people live wherever they want
      • From Tokyo to Tajimi (Part 3): Now is the time to see the countryside
      • The Festival - Oh, What a Night!
      • The Life of an American Japanese
      • Festivals in Tajimi
      • 2018 in Tajimi - Visually
      • Film - A day in Tajimi
      • Virtual Travel - The day when Our World Shrank
      • Blessings in a calamitous year (part 01)
      • Blessings in a calamitous year (part 02)
      • Flower Viewing Beyond the Crowds
      • Manga: The Kappa Scene
      • Shidekobushi - the rare Magnolias of the Tono region
    • History >
      • A Failed Coup d'etat - And the Death of a Tajimi Samurai
  • エッセイ
    • 多治見​滞在中の過ごし方
    • 薪窯フェア
    • 国際陶磁器フェスティバル美濃 ’24
    • 外国人観光客へのサービスを充実させる取り組み
    • 焼物の町 多治見で茶道のあれこれ (Part 01)
    • 焼物の町 多治見で茶道のあれこれ (PART 2)
    • ​多治見に訪れた人たち、そしてその後
    • 焼物の町、多治見まち歩き 小名田/高田 ​パート1
    • 多治見ウォーキング >
      • 焼物の町、多治見まち歩き 小名田/高田 ​パート2 不動明王の滝
      • 焼物の町、多治見まち歩き 高田/小名田 ​パート3 水月窯
      • 多治見歴史探索ウォーキング - 土岐川の北側
      • ながせ通りウォーキング 昔の姿に思いを馳せながら
      • おりべストリート周辺 - パート1
      • 多治見 銀座通り
      • 市之倉町 多治見の小さな陶器の町(パート1))
      • 市之倉町 多治見の小さな陶器の町(パート2)
    • 陶器・タイル >
      • シロクマの焼き物パフォーマンス
      • 美濃焼物語 (Part 1)
      • 美濃焼物語 (Part 02)
      • 美濃焼物語 (Part 03)
      • 美濃焼物語 (Part 04)
      • 美濃焼物語 (Part 05)
      • 美濃焼ルネッサンスのルーツ
      • 白天目 500年ぶりの再現 PART1
      • 白天目 500年ぶりの再現 PART2
      • 登り窯
      • 焼き物の楽しみ方
      • 幸兵衛窯:伝統と革新の出会い
      • 多治見で作陶
      • 安藤日出武
      • タイルキングダム - 笠原町
      • 陶磁器の本拠地でグランプリを目指せ!
      • 柴田育彦 ボーダーレスな陶芸家
      • 新しい陶磁器産業の形
      • モザイクタイルプリンセス
      • フィンランドと多治見の出会い
      • 陶祖 - 謎めいた名工が遺したもの
      • 青山双渓氏、「白天目」の再現に挑んだ窯
    • 食べる・飲む >
      • 多治見で乾杯!
      • 五平餅を食べられるお店と作り方
      • ウナギ・ア・ラ・タジミエンヌ
      • 超辛口の日本酒への情熱
      • 多治見のお正月の自然薯料理
    • 東京から多治見へ - PART 1
    • 東京から多治見へ - PART 2
    • 東京から多治見へ - PART 3
    • 厄年の御祈祷 (part 01)
    • 厄年の御祈祷 (part 02)
    • 夏祭り - なんて素敵な夜!
    • 人込みを避けてお花見を満喫しよう
    • 多治見のお祭り
    • シデコブシ 東濃地方の珍しい木蓮の花
    • ビジュアルで2018年の多治見を振り返ろう
    • 多治見の楽しい方言 東濃弁
    • バーチャル・トラベル
    • ビデオ - A DAY IN 多治見
    • 失敗に終わったクーデター
    • 2019年 多治見るこみち イングリッシュ・ガイドツアー
    • アメリカン・ジャパニーズとしての暮らし
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