Chanoyu is made up of the tea room, the tea garden and the various utensils that are used by the host to entertain guests.

Looking at these utensils, for example, the scrolls and paintings that are hung in the alcove, we can see a culture of paper and fabric. Similarly, for tea bowls, flower containers, fresh water containers, and tea containers, there is a culture of ceramics; for kettles, braziers and waste water containers, there is a culture of metalwork; for powdered thin tea containers, tea scoops and vessels for sweets there are cultures of lacquer ware and of wood and bamboo craft.

That is to say, the traditional crafts of Japan used in daily life are brought together in chanoyu. Moreover, the highest level of art and of technique in these traditional crafts is found in chanoyu utensils. So the culture of chanoyu has supported and developed the level of craftsmanship in the traditional Japanese crafts and industries.

The custom of drinking powdered green tea came from China and so the utensils in the early period of tea drinking were naturally also imported from China. These were called 'karamono' (Chinese things). However, as chanoyu was absorbed into Japanese culture, and developed as part of people's daily lives regardless of class, production of utensils was of course begun in Japan. These were called 'wamono' (Japanese things). There was a development from charming and expensive Chinese utensils to simple and elegant Japanese ones, showing the Japanese people's aesthetic awareness. At the same time, the ideas of those who were to use the utensils and the designs of those who made them, led to their improvement as utensils for entertaining guests. This also created a background of interest in their origin and lineage. So chanoyu utensils played a great part in the formation of chanoyu.