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TEA DRINKING CUSTOMS OF THE WORLD

THE TRADITION OF CHANOYU

RIKYU'S CHANOYU AND ITS LINEAGE

THE TEA ROOM AND THE TEA GARDEN

Traditional houses and the tea room

Techniques and materials

Giving form to chanoyu

Marutazukuri (Using logs in the tea room)

Making the most of bamboo

Clay walls

A solid structure

Omotesenke's tea rooms and gardens

FORMS AND BEHAVIOR

TEA UTENSILS

Giving form to chanoyu

The tea room is used for chaji (tea gatherings), so it could be described as a chanoyu utensil. Just looking at any chanoyu utensil gives us the feeling of chanoyu. It should be the same with a tea room.

For the host, if he is a recluse, putting on worldly airs or appearances no longer matters. The tea room also does not have a proud or stern appearance. The roof is not a soaring one, but is made as low as possible and has a light form. The path to the tea room is a line of small stepping stones (sashiishi), the kind of path where waraji (straw sandals) are worn. The idea is to give a feeling of simplicity, not splendour.

The eaves are low and the ceiling is low, but because this is a place for entertaining, the guests should not feel uncomfortable. For example, by covering the corner pillars with clay plastered over them to give a rounded effect, and by raising part of the ceiling and making a space behind it, the guests can be made to forget the smallness of the room. For a chaji that lasts up to four hours it is necessary to create a space that is comfortable enough for the guests.

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Tai-an ceiling



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