Codified Tranquility : Ritual and Communitas in the Japanese Way of Tea (original) (raw)

Abstract

This thesis is an ethnographic study of chadō, the Japanese way of Tea, with particular focus on the social and communal aspects present in a formal Tea event, a chaji. Perhaps as a result of the closed nature of the Japanese way of Tea (an invitation from the host is required in order to take part in a chaji) previous studies of the subject in English have confined themselves primarily to the aesthetic or artistic nature of chadō. In contrast, this study emphasizes the ritual and symbolic aspects of a chaji, examining Tea (the term used to describe chadō within the study), as a transition ritual, the ultimate goal of which is enlightenment or tranquillity. Through a comprehensive analysis of Tea and its practice, the findings of this study suggest that a special social-sphere is created during a chaji, a sphere which in turn fosters a sense of shared community between the participants. As a result of the ritual practice and the manifestation of symbolic communication within a chaji, shared values of respect and harmony are affirmed and renewed among the community. The initial fieldwork for this study was conducted over a period of three months in Kyōto Japan, based on participant observation at the Urasenke school of Tea as well as through conducting interviews with some of the school's students. This first-hand observation and research was then filtered through the lens of transition rituals as defined by the classic study Rite de passage of Van Gennep and Victor Turner's conceptualization of society and rituals. In linking the data to these theoretical frameworks, the findings show that in participating in a chaji, Tea practitioners are able to leave the mundane world behind them, moving through a phase of symbolic cleansing, and into the sacred or spiritual realm of Tea. This transition occurs in three distinct phases which Van Gennep defines as separation, transition, and incorporation. The study argues that it is possible to view a sense of shared community among chaji practitioners as taking place not within the realm of structured society, but rather in its margins. As such, the individual participant of a chaji is no longer defined by his or her status or role in society at large; when participating in a chaji, the Tea practitioner is sharing in a "once in a lifetime" experience of shared communal harmony. The findings also suggest that through its focus on traditional Japanese art forms (ceramics, calligraphy, flower arrangement), Tea operates as a mechanism to create a communal experience with a shared value system. Although chadō is defined by its adherents as being quintessentially Japanese, this study makes comparisons to other consumption rituals in which a communal feeling is achieved among the participants.

Figures (12)

This thesis is an ethnographic study of chad6, the Japanese way of Tea, with particular focus on the social and communal aspects present in a formal Tea event, a chaji. Perhaps as a result of the closed nature of the Japanese way of Tea (an invitation from the host is required in order to take part in a chaji) previous studies of the subject in English have confined themselves primarily to the aesthetic or artistic nature of chad6. In contrast, this study emphasizes the ritual and symbolic aspects of a chaji, examining Tea (the term used to describe chad6 within the study), as a transition ritual, the ultimate goal of which is enlightenment or tranquillity. Through a comprehensive analysis of Tea and its practice, the findings of this study suggest that a special social-sphere is created during a chaji, a sphere which in turn fosters a sense of shared community between the participants. As a result of the ritual practice and the manifestation of symbolic communication within a chaji, shared values of respect and harmony are affirmed and renewed among the community.

This thesis is an ethnographic study of chad6, the Japanese way of Tea, with particular focus on the social and communal aspects present in a formal Tea event, a chaji. Perhaps as a result of the closed nature of the Japanese way of Tea (an invitation from the host is required in order to take part in a chaji) previous studies of the subject in English have confined themselves primarily to the aesthetic or artistic nature of chad6. In contrast, this study emphasizes the ritual and symbolic aspects of a chaji, examining Tea (the term used to describe chad6 within the study), as a transition ritual, the ultimate goal of which is enlightenment or tranquillity. Through a comprehensive analysis of Tea and its practice, the findings of this study suggest that a special social-sphere is created during a chaji, a sphere which in turn fosters a sense of shared community between the participants. As a result of the ritual practice and the manifestation of symbolic communication within a chaji, shared values of respect and harmony are affirmed and renewed among the community.

Figure 7: Omogashi, (minazuki type), moist sweets Figure 8: Omogashi, (summer season) moist sweets

Figure 7: Omogashi, (minazuki type), moist sweets Figure 8: Omogashi, (summer season) moist sweets

Figure 10: Koshikake machiai, waiting bench in the garden

Figure 10: Koshikake machiai, waiting bench in the garden

Loading...

Loading Preview

Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.

References (74)

  1. Allen, Catherine J. 1988. The Hold Life has: Coca and Cultural Identity in an Andean Community. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  2. Anderson L. Jennifer 1987. Japanese Tea Ritual: Religion in Practice. Man, New Series 22 (3): 475-498.
  3. Anderson L. Jennifer 1991. An Introduction to Japanese Tea Ritual. Albany: State University of New York Press.
  4. Barbara, Lynn & Rowland, Mori 1991. The Tea Ceremony: A Transformed Japanese Ritual. Gender and Society 5 (1): 86-97.
  5. Bott, Elizabeth 1988 [1987]. The Kava Ceremonial as A Dream Structure. In Constructive Drinking: Perspectives on Drink from Anthropology, edited by Mary Douglas. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  6. Colby N. Benjamin 1991. The Japanese Tea Ceremony: Coherence Theory and Metaphor in Social Adaptation. In Beyond Metaphor: The Theory of Tropes in Anthropology, edited by Fernandez W. James. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
  7. Douglas, Mary 2003 [1966]. Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo. London: Routledge.
  8. Haga, Kōshirō 1989. The Wabi Aesthetics through the Ages. In Tea in Japan: Essays on the History of Chanoyu, edited by Paul Varley and Kumamura Isao. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
  9. Hammitzch, Horst (1980). Zen in the Art of Tea Ceremony. New York: St. Martin's Press.
  10. Holland, James-Henry 2003. Kaiki and Oboegaki in Contemporary Japanese Tea Practice. In Japanese Tea Culture: Art, history and practice edited by Morgan Pitelka. London: RoutledgeCurzon.
  11. Kaisen, Iguchi 1991 [1975].
  12. Kakuzo, Okakura 1906. The Book of Tea. [WWW-document] http://www.sacred- texts.com/bud/tea.htm. (Read in July 2011).
  13. Kondo, Dorinne 1985. The Way of Tea: A Symbolic Analysis. Man, New Series (20) 2: 287-306.
  14. Kumakura, Isao 1989. Sen No Rikyū: Inquiries into His Life and Tea. In Tea in Japan: Essays on the History of Chanoyu, edited by Paul Varley and Kumamura Isao. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
  15. Lebra, Takie Sugiyama 1976. Japanese patterns of behavior. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
  16. Lebra, Takie Sugiyama 1992. Self in Japanese culture. In Japanese Sense of Self, edited by Nancy R. Rosenberger. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  17. Lewis, Lowell J. 2008. Toward a Unified Theory of Cultural Performance: A "Reconstructive Introduction" to Victor Turner. In Victor Turner and Contemporary Performance: An Introduction, edited by Graham St.John. New York: Berhahn Books.
  18. Marcell, Mauss 1990 [1950]. The Gift: The Form and Reason for Exchange in Archaic Societies. London: Routledge,.
  19. Matsuki, Keiko 1995. Metaphors of anger in Japanese. In Trends in Linguistic, Studies and Monographs 82, Language and the Cognitive Construal of the World, edited by John R. Taylor and Robert E. MacLaury. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
  20. Metcalf, Peter 2008. Unraveling Ritual: Victor Turner and the Problems of Genesis. Suomen Antropologi 33 (4): 62-70.
  21. Murai, Yasuhiko 1989. The Development of Chanoyu: Before Rikyū. In Tea in Japan: Essays on the History of Chanoyu, edited by Paul Varley and Kumamura Isao. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
  22. Nakane, Chie 1970. Japanese Society. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  23. Norbeck, Edward 1977. A Sanction for Authority: Etiquette. In The Anthropology of Power: Ethnographic Studies From Asia, Oceania and the New World, edited by Raymond D. Fogelson and Richard Newbold Adam. New York: Academic Press.
  24. Ohnuki-Tierney, Emiko 1984. Illness and Culture in Contemporary Japan: An Anthropological View. New York: Cambridge University Press.
  25. Olaveson, Tim 2001. Collective Effervescence and Communitas: Processual Models of Ritual and Society in Emile Durkheim and Victor Turner. Dialectical Anthropology 26: 89-124.
  26. Turner, Victor 1974. Dramas, Fields, and Metaphors: Symbolic Action in Human Society. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
  27. Van Gennep, Arnold 1960. The Rites of Passage. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Internet sources Chado Encyclopedia. "Koicha Dialog" (Last modified 07. November 2008). http://wiki.chado.no/Koicha%20Dialog. Read on 2.4.2012.
  28. San José State University. "Jennifer L. Anderson's Homepage" (Last modified: 19. March 2012). http://www.sjsu.edu/people/jennifer.anderson/. Read on 2.4.2012.
  29. Suomen Chado Urasenke Tankokai Yhdistys Ry. "Urasenke Tankokai Finland" (Published: 2003). http://www.urasenke.fi/urasenke.shtml. Read on 2.4.2012. Suomen Chado Urasenke Tankokai Yhdistys Ry. "Yhdistys" (Published: 2003). http://www.urasenke.fi/yhdistys.shtml. Read on 2.4.2012.
  30. Urasenke Konnichian Web Site. "Chado --The Japanese Way of Tea" (Published: 2002). http://www.urasenke.or.jp/texte/chado/chado1.html. Read on 2.4.2012.
  31. Urasenke Konnichian Web Site. "Greetings from Iemoto SEN Soshitsu XVI" (Published: 2002). http://www.urasenke.or.jp/texte/greetings/greetings.html. Read on 2.4.2012. Urasenke Konnichian Web Site. "Konnichian --The Urasenke Home" (Published: 2002). http://www.urasenke.or.jp/texte/tearooms/index\_tea.html. Read on 2.4.2012. Urasenke Konnichian Web Site."Midorikai" (Published: 2002). http://www.urasenke.or.jp/texte/uac/midori/index.html. Read on 2.4.2012. Urasenke Konnichian Web Site. "Urasenke Gakuen Chado Semmon Gakko" (Published 2002). http://www.urasenke.or.jp/texte/uac/gakuen.html. Read on 2.4.2012. Glossary Chabana -Tea flower arrangement. Chadō -Way of the Tea.
  32. Chaire -Container for the thick tea, usually made from ceramic. Chaji -Formal Tea event that lasts from four to five hours. Chakai -Informal Tea event where usually only thin tea is served.
  33. Chakin -White linen cloth used for wiping the tea bowl during the "moist purifications." Chamei -"Tea name" given to a student from the iemoto or the student's direct teacher when graduating from the tea school" (Anderson 1991, 266).
  34. Chanoyu -Other term used for Tea.
  35. Chasen -Bamboo whisk used for kneading or whipping the tea. Chashaku -Tea spoon.
  36. Chashitsu -Tearoom.
  37. Chiriana -Symbolic "dust pit" found in the inner roji. Chū mon -Gate between the inner and outer roji.
  38. Dora -Gong used to signal guests back from the middle break during a chaji. Edazumi -White branch charcoal.
  39. Enza -Round straw cushion used in the koshikake machiai.
  40. Fuchidaka -lacquered moist sweet container.
  41. Fujibai -Decorative white ash sprinkled on top of the ash arrangement.
  42. Fukusa -Silk cloth the host uses when purifying utensils; usually purple for men and red for women. Furo -Brazier used in the summer time, placed on top of the tatami. Futaoki -Lid rest for the lid of the cold water container. Gozumi -Second charcoal arrangement during a chaji.
  43. Gyō -Semiformal category of the classification system of objects and behavior in Tea. Haigata -Specific method of arranging the ash in the furo. Haiki -Ash container.
  44. Hantō -Host's assistant.
  45. Hassun -Square cedar tray which is used in the kaiseki meal's hassun course portion. Hibashi -Metal charcoal chopstick. Higashi -Dry sweets.
  46. Hikihai -Red sake saucer used in kaiseki.
  47. Hishaku -Bamboo water ladle. Ichigo ichie -"Once in a lifetime." Iemoto -Head of a Tea school. Kaiseki -Formal meal in a chaji .
  48. Kaishi -Special Japanese paper used in Tea events.
  49. Kakemono -Scroll.
  50. Katanakake -Sword rack. Kei -Concept of 'respect' in chadō. Keiko -Tea preparation lesson. Kensui -Waste water container. Kimono -Traditional Japanese garment. Koicha -Thick tea. Koshikake machiai -Waiting arbor in the tea garden.
  51. Kuromoji -Wooden sweet picks used to eat the moist sweet.
  52. Machiai -Waiting area where guests often enjoy flavored hot water before the Tea event. Mizusashi -Cold water container.
  53. Mizuya -Preparation area or room next to the tearoom. Mizuya mimai -Symbolic thank you the guests give the host. Nakadachi -Middle break in the chaji. Natsume -Thin tea container.
  54. Nijiriguchi -"Crawl-in" entrance to the tearoom (usually 1.2 meters high (Anderson 1991,
  55. Obi -Wide belt worn over the kimono. Omogashi -Moist sweet.
  56. O)sayu -Flavored hot water served in the machiai before the Tea event. Raku -Tea bowl with a rustic look.
  57. Ro -Fire pit cut in the floor inside a tearoom, used during winter time.
  58. Roji -Path to the tearoom, used also when referring to a Tea-style garden. Roji zōri -Soft straw sandals worn in the roji. Sake -Japanese rice wine. Samurai -Japanese warrior class.
  59. Satori -Enlightenment.
  60. Sei -Concept of 'purity' in chadō. Sekimori ishi -'Detaining stone' found in the roji.
  61. Senpai-kōhai system -"A component of organizational structure according to which seniors owe juniors protection and aid and the juniors owe seniors obedience and assistance" (Anderson 1991, 292).
  62. Sensei -Teacher.
  63. Sensu -Fan.
  64. Seppuku -Suicide by disembowelment. Shifuku -Fabric bag of the thick tea container.
  65. Shin -Formal category of the classification system of objects and behavior in Tea. Shōkyaku -First guest of a Tea event. Shozumi -First charcoal arrangement in a chaji.
  66. Sō -Informal category of the classification system of objects and behavior in Tea. Sōan -Four-and-one-half mat sized tearoom.
  67. Sumidemae -Charcoal preparation.
  68. Tabako bon -"A box or tray with several Japanese pipes, a container of ash with a lighted coal centered in it, and a section of bamboo used for discarding used ashes" (Anderson 1991, 296). Used as a symbol of 'relaxation' during a chaji.
  69. Tabi -Traditional Japanese split-toed socks.
  70. Teishu -Host.
  71. Temae -Specific procedure related to tea preparation.
  72. Tokonoma -Alcove where the scroll is hung and where the tea flowers are arranged. Toriawase -Combination of utensils that create a 'story' for a Tea event. Tsukubai -Stone water basin in the roji. Usucha -Thin tea.
  73. Wa -Concept of 'harmony' in chadō.
  74. Wabi -Aesthetical sense of rustic and simple beauty, also refers to the 'proper mind set' of Tea. Yōhō sabaki -Symbolic examination of four sides of the fukusa before purifying the chaire. Yoritsuki -Area where the guests can leave their excess garments before a chaji . Zenrei -Formal reply to a chaji invitation.