| The Japanese Tea Ceremony is primarily a social | | | | an intimate gathering of up to 5 guests. A good host |
| event that stresses aesthetics and may have a | | | | will choose guests that will be compatible and enjoy |
| religious element as well. Since the mid 16th century, | | | | each other's company in this small group. |
| the steps to the ceremony have not changed. Clean | | | | The informal tea lasts from 20 minutes to an hour. |
| the serving bowls, boil water, serve a sweet treat to | | | | Guests gather at an appointed time to be served a |
| guests, and mix powdered green tea, called matcha, | | | | sweet and some tea or perhaps a small meal with |
| with the water and serve to guests. | | | | the sweet and tea. The chakai can be served to a |
| A Japanese Tea can be informal, a chakai, or formal, | | | | single guest or to a number limited only by the host's |
| a chaji. While both ceremonies have the same | | | | resources. |
| purpose, to serve tea and food to guests, the | | | | Learning to prepare and participate in a Japanese Tea |
| difference lies in the higher quality and greater | | | | Ceremony takes practice. Acquiring the basic skills |
| quantity of the food served and the ritualized | | | | needed for an informal gathering may take only a |
| movements that are associated with the chaji. | | | | few weeks. The more complicated formal tea may |
| A formal tea, called a chaji, has very structured | | | | take years of practice to master. Formal teas are |
| gathering rituals, a meal served in courses, an | | | | arranged and choreographed to be aesthetically |
| intermission in the garden, a formal thick tea | | | | pleasing, from the presentation of the food and drink, |
| ceremony followed by a less solemn thin tea | | | | the appearance of the serving utensils and even the |
| ceremony. The chaji lasts three to five hours and is | | | | smallest physical movements of the participants. |