Questions About Sado, the Tea Ceremony: Why Do We Turn the Tea Bowl?
In short, we rotate the tea bowl to prevent stains on its most beautiful side of the bowl. This small movement is a gesture of respect—for the tea bowl, the tea itself, and all the people involved in this cup of tea.
Now, let’s take a closer look at how to drink matcha in the tea ceremony.
Finding the “Front” of the Tea Bowl
When explaining this, it is helpful to imagine something square. As you may know, we turn the tea bowl, and because it is round, it can be difficult to tell where the front is.
The side of the tea bowl facing you at first is called shomen, the front. When you look at the bowl from directly above, and imagine the bowl as a clock, the front is at the 6 o’clock position.
Why We Don’t Drink from the Front
In the tea ceremony, we avoid drinking directly from the front, which is often the most carefully designed and beautiful side of the bowl. You may also think of the tea bowl as a person’s face. Just as it would feel rude to kiss someone’s face the moment you meet them, we avoid placing our lips on the front of the tea bowl. Instead, we drink from the side—specifically, the 3 o’clock position. (I recently learned that the location of the drinking part varies slightly depending on the school, although the point of avoiding drinking from the front remains the same.)
How to Turn the Tea Bowl
To do this, take the tea bowl with your right hand and place it gently on your left palm. Then, using your right hand, rotate the bowl clockwise in two small turns. Now, the 3 o’clock position is facing you, and the front of the bowl is turned precisely to your left.
Keeping the bowl in your left hand, support it with your right hand and take your first sip.
If I hear you say, “Ah, it’s delicious,” at this moment, I will be very happy.
How to Finish Drinking the Tea
Without waiting too long, continue to enjoy the matcha in three or four sips until it is finished. When you are done, still holding the bowl in your left hand, gently wipe the rim with the thumb and index finger of your right hand. Then wipe your fingers with a piece of kaishi paper.
If you could smoothly perform the small actions of wiping the rim of the cup and wiping your fingers with the kaishi, you would be respected as someone who has a good understanding of the tea ceremony.
Finally, return the tea bowl to its original position. Rotate the bowl counterclockwise in two steps, the reverse of what you did before. When the front of the bowl is once again facing you, the tea is finished.
Where Can I Experience the Tea Ceremony?
Has this sparked your interest in trying the tea ceremony? We invite you to enjoy a private tea ceremony experience at our salon.
