The Japanese Tea Ceremony is a highly symbolic and deeply spiritual procedure. A host/hostess spends countless hours going over the details to insure a smooth and perfect flow. A tea ceremony is significant to the human expression -- that every encounter is a singular occasion which will never happen again. In this light, every aspect of the tea ceremony must be appreciated and savored.

A chaji, which is a full presentation with a meal, is performed in essentially three parts:a meal of two courses, a rest period and then tea. In this process, the host and guests perform a highly ritualized series of actions, carrying out a nearly wordless dialogue of symbolism and feeling.

Guests enter the chashitsu (a room where the tea ceremony is performed) from the roji. The roji is a tea garden which is devoid of flowers and is intended to be the place where guests rid themselves of the "dust of the world." Here, the guests choose one of their group to act as the main guest, or guest of honor. While the guests are waiting, the teishu (house master) fills the tsukubai (stone basin) with fresh water. A ladle of the water is used by the teishu to purify his hands and mouth and then the guests in the garden will be welcomed. The host, male or female, traditionally wears a kimono. The guests may also wear kimono, but may also wear subdued formal wear. The guests purify themselves at the tsukubai as well, and enter the teahouse. The entrance is very low so that all must crouch to enter. This is to signify that all are equal in tea, no matter their status or social position. The last person in latches the door.

Once inside, the guests are served a light meal, which is like an appetizer, called chakaiseki. The meal is served on a tray with fresh cedar chopsticks. The tray contains cooked white rice in a ceramic bowl, which will be eaten with other dishes. The tray also contains miso soup served in covered, lacquer bowls, and raw fish (plain or pickled) or pickled vegetables in a ceramic dish. Sake is also served.

The first course is called hashiarai (rinsing the chopsticks), and consists of nimono (foods simmered in broth) in separate, covered, lacquer dishes. Yakimono (grilled foods) are served in individual portions on ceramic plates. Additional rice and soup is offered each guest. At this course the host may eat, if he chooses. The palate is then cleared with kosuimono, a simple clear broth served in covered lacquer bowls.

The next course is called hassun, which is also the name for the simple wooden tray that is used in this course. It consists of uminomono (seafood) and yamanomono (mountain food) which signify the abundance of the sea and land. In this course, the host eats and is also served saki by each of the guests. The position of server is considered a higher position. To insure equality of all in the tea room, each person acts as host -- if only momentarily. Konomono (fragrant things) are served in small ceramic bowls, and browned rice is served in salted water in a lacquer pitcher, representing the last of the rice. An omogashi (principal sweet) is served to conclude the meal. Sweets are eaten from special paper called kaishi. Each guest carries his or her own, often in a decorative wallet which is tucked into the front of the kimono. The host then invites his guests to retire to the garden or waiting room while he prepares for tea. The room is swept and the utensils for preparing koicha are arranged. Over thirteen individual items are used. Each is costly and considered an art object. Following the meal, the host prepares the charcoal for the first time (shozumi).

The last part of the ceremony is the drinking of the tea. In tea ceremony, water represents yin and fire in the hearth represents yang. The water is held in a jar called the mizusashi. Each utensil--including the tea bowl (chawan), whisk (chasen), and tea scoop (chashaku)-- is then ritually cleaned in the presence of the guests in a precise order and using prescribed motions. The utensils are placed in a precise arrangement according to the ritual being performed. When the ritual cleaning and preparation of the utensils is complete, the host will place a measured amount of green tea powder in the bowl and add the appropriate amount of hot water, then whisk the tea using using precise, prescribed movements. Koicha (thick tea) is prepared for the guests. The bowl is served to the guest of honor, or shokyaku, (literally, "first guest"), either by the host or an assistant. Bows are exchanged between the host and guest of honour. The guest then bows to the second guest, and raises the bowl in a gesture of respect to the host. The guest rotates the bowl to avoid drinking from its front, takes a sip, murmurs the prescribed phrase, and then takes two or three more sips before wiping the rim, rotating the bowl to its original position, and passing it to the next guest with a bow. The procedure is repeated until all guests have taken tea from the same bowl, and the bowl is returned to the host. In some ceremonies, each guest will drink from an individual bowl, but the order of serving and drinking is the same.

The host then prepares the charcoal a second time (gozumi) and makes usucha (thin tea). This tea will rinse the palate and symbolically prepares the guests for leaving the spiritual world of tea and re-entering the physical world. To compliment usacha, higashi (dry sweets) are served. Usacha and koicha are made in the same manner, except that less tea powder of a lesser quality is used. Both are dispensed from a date-shaped, wooden container called natsume.

When all of this is finished, the host collects the utensils and the host and guests silently and respectfully acknowledge each other one last time, and the guests take their leave. The host bows from the door, and the ceremony is over. A tea ceremony can last between one hour and four to five hours, depending on the type of ceremony performed, and the type of meal and tea served.