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An introduction to the art of Japanese tea

Japanese sophistication is second to none. Even the offering of tea to guests can leave one awe-inspired, as the famous Urasenke school recently demonstrated in Dubai

How do you go about serving tea? To leave the best impression, we often reach out for our best cups and saucers complemented with fresh canapés. Besides that, it's a matter of pouring it into our guests' cups without spilling a drop.
But in Japanese culture, there is an elaborate ritual that makes the whole experience very sensuous and graceful. Known as Chado in Japanese, the gathering is a refined act of serving tea with high regard to spiritual and aesthetic discipline between the host and guests.
Grace and discipline are the first impressions when viewing a tea ceremony, and Urasenke, a distinguished school of the art in Japan, showcased just that at a special gathering in Zayed University, Dubai recently.
From the host's duty of preparing tea and serving it to guests in the order of importance to the guests' appreciation of his surroundings and way he sips the beverage, each individual takes on an unique role that collectively represent the Chado.
The event was hosted by Urasenke, in cooperation with Zayed University and the Consulate General of Japan in Dubai, and led by Makiko Sen, the eldest daughter of Soshitsu Sen XVI, who is the 16th generation Grand Master of the Urasenke Chado tradition.
"This is my first visit to the UAE," said Makiko Sen, as she addressed the audience. "And my first encounter in the Middle East dates back three years ago when we had the honour of receiving the Crown Prince of Bahrain, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, at a Urasenke tea ceremony in Japan."
Commenting on the turnout, Masataka Sugimoto, the Vice Consul at the Consulate General of Japan in Dubai said: "We have been very lucky to see students from American University of Sharjah, Sharjah University, American University of Dubai, etc. visit Zayed University for the demonstration, adding to the success of the event. I hope younger people in the UAE will be more interested in Japanese culture."
farhana@khaleejtimes.com