#1 The History of Sadou

The History of Sadou

 The custom of drinking tea was handed down from China in 8^th century. Those days, Japan had sent many priests to Tou - in 8^th century, China’s name is “Tou” – and one of those priests brought the tea which was drunk in china to Japan. The tea called Dancha. This is the most ancient tea for Japan, and this is the first introduction. The second introduction was Kamakura period. Priest Eisai brought the book which explains how to drink the tea as a medicine. This custom spread out among the priests and the nobility. In addition, this custom spread out to the people in the form called Toucha – the tea competition in Muromachi period. The tea competition was a gamble to guess taste of tea right – What is the name of the tea? Where is the tea from? And so on - , and this became popular among samurais. As the tea competition became popular, it has the need to secure a place to perform the tea competition. This is the tea ceremony room in the back. Order and courtesy were gradually made to performing the tea competition, and this became the beginning of manners of the tea ceremony in the back.

  The form of the tea ceremony called wabicha was completed in Azuchimomoyama period by the famous Sennorikyu. His wabicha spread out to samurais, and various styles of tea ceremony were born. It called samurai family tea ceremony or daimyo tea in particular in the present age.

  By the time of Edo first period, the population of the tea ceremony was limited quality constructed by a daimyo and a big merchant mainly. But in the middle of Edo period, the merchant rank grew up economically, the population of tea ceremony increased explosively. And it was central three styles of the tea ceremony called sannsennke that accepted such merchant as a pupil. In this way, the tea ceremony spread out in the all over Japan. But this let the tea ceremony popularize, and the common people enjoyed the tea ceremony as pleasure not as a mental thing. That’s because common people cannot understand the spirit of wabisabi. On the other hand, the beauty of the heart to treat a person which is an original purpose of the tea ceremony comes to ne emphasized. Is is said that the spirits of wakeiseijyaku that is the motto of the Rikyu styles was made then. In this way, the current form of   Japanese tea ceremony was completed.