The Japanese tea ceremony: history, tools and how to get started

Chado - the way of tea - is one of the most complete aesthetic systems Japan has ever produced. It governs not just how tea is prepared and served, but the architecture of the room, the choice of hanging scroll, the arrangement of flowers, the silence between gestures. Sen no Rikyu, the tea master who codified its principles in the 16th century, reduced the entire practice to four concepts: harmony, respect, purity, and tranquillity. These four words have directed Japanese design thinking for five centuries.

You do not need a tea room to engage with the tea ceremony. You need a bowl, a whisk, good matcha and a willingness to slow down.

A note on history

Tea arrived in Japan from China with Buddhist monks in the 9th century, initially as a medicinal drink. By the 12th century it was being drunk in monasteries as an aid to meditation. The competitive tea gatherings of the Muromachi period, where wealthy patrons displayed Chinese objects to impress guests, gave way to the wabi-cha aesthetic championed by Sen no Rikyu - austere, asymmetrical, rooted in simplicity and impermanent natural materials. Rikyu was later ordered to commit suicide by the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, under circumstances that remain historically debated. His influence survived him completely.

The tools

The chawan

The tea bowl is the heart of the ceremony. It should sit comfortably in two cupped hands and have a rim that meets the lips naturally. The glaze is usually irregular - pooling at the base, varying in colour and texture - because perfection is considered aesthetically inferior to the character that emerges from firing. You will find a curated selection in our tea ceremony collection.

The chasen

A bamboo whisk with between 80 and 120 tines, split from a single piece of bamboo. This is what transforms matcha powder and water into a smooth, frothy drink. A chasen should be stored on a kusenaoshi stand between uses to preserve its curved shape. They do wear out over time - this is expected and accepted.

The chashaku

A thin bamboo scoop, traditionally carved from a single piece, used to measure matcha. Two scoops is the standard amount for a bowl of usucha (thin tea).

Water and temperature

This detail is not optional: matcha should be prepared with water between 70 and 80 degrees Celsius. Boiling water turns matcha bitter and destroys its colour. A cast iron tetsubin kettle from Iwachu is traditionally used not just for its beauty but because iron is believed to improve the quality of the water as it heats slowly. Let boiled water cool for 5 to 8 minutes before using it with matcha.

The practice at home

Sift a small amount of ceremonial-grade matcha through a fine sieve into a warmed, dry chawan. Add 60 to 70ml of water at the correct temperature. Whisk in a rapid W-motion - not circular - until a fine froth forms across the surface. The tea should be bright green and smooth, with no visible powder.

Explore our teaware collection for complete sets, discover Japanese green tea to pair with your practice, and browse our tableware for the complete table setting.

Read next

• Japanese green tea: sencha, gyokuro, matcha and hojicha, for choosing the matcha itself
• Iwachu: Japan's most iconic ironware brand, the makers of the tetsubin
• The beginner's guide to Japanese cast iron cookware