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JAPAN

Japan is situated in northeastern Asia between the North Pacific and the Sea of Japan. The area of Japan is 377,873 square kilometers, nearly equivalent to Germany and Switzerland combined or slightly smaller than California. Japan consists of four major islands, surrounded by more than 4,000 smaller islands.

Traditional Culture & Festivals

Traditional Culture

Tea Ceremony

	Cha-no-yu (the tea ceremony) or Sadô (lit. the way of tea) was introduced to Japan from China and perfected by Master Sen-no-Rikyu based on the spirit of Zen in the 16th century.

	For Japanese people, cha-no-yu is a mental discipline for pursuing "wabi" (a state of mind in which a person is calm and content, with a profound simplicity) and is at the same time a performance in which form and grace are paramount.



	A ceremonial tea-room is usually about three meters square (a four-and-a-half tatami-mat room) and is decorated very simply. The spirit of "wabi" is exemplified by this tea-room.

	Nijiri-guchi: a side door about 60 cm square through which guests enter the tea-room. Since they are forced to bow when passing through this door, they naturally lose their sense of self-importance and become humble.
	The style of cha-no-yu depends on the school, such as Ura-Senkê, Omotê-Senkê, etc. The style described above is primarily that of Ura-Senkê.