Doing temae and having a chanoyu gathering

**Doing temae and having a chanoyu gathering

*what is TEMAE?
A temae is a series of procedures followed to make a bowl of matcha, serve it to a guest, and then to put the things away. It may be said that one reason chanoyu is recognized as a form of art it that the extremely ordinary and instinctual act of taking food and drink was put into order as series of movements turned it into a KATA or 'model form'. Without the temae, chanoyu is but a mere act of taking food and drink.
The temae is comprised of a smooth, continuous process of many procedures, which include among other things the preparations, the inspection of the articles, the tea making, the cleaning of the articles, and the putting away of the articles. It is created as a performance art, having variation in the dynamics and pace of the movements.

with the rise of the IEMOTO systems, the temae, or in other words the KATA(model forms)passed on from the IEMOTO to disciples, came to be the element that provided the keynote of the system itself. Owing to the establishment of the IEMOTO system in chanoyu, the temae not only became systematic but also complex, Basically,however, any temae progresses as follows, with additional movements added depending on the type of temae that it is.

1. the host carries that implements, which have been readied in the preparation room(mizuya 水屋),into the tea room, where he then inspects them and puts them in proper condition for making a delicious bowl of tea.

2. the host mixes the powdered tea and hot water together in the tea bowl.

3. the host puts the tea bowl, containing the tea drink, out for the guests.

4. the guests receive it, drink the tea,and then return the bowl.

5. the host rinses the returned tea bowl and prepares it for making the next bowl of tea.

6. Once assured that no further tea is necessary, the host cleans up the items, putting them in their original condition, and carries them out of the tea room.

**the kinds of temae and forms of chanoyu gatherings

1.KOICHA(濃茶)and USUCHA(薄茶)

when we say 'a bowl of tea'(お茶一服,Ocha ippuku) today, we usually mean usucha(thin tea), wherein each individual serving is made in an individual bowl. On the other hand, KOICHA(thick tea) is made by putting a good amount of tea in a relatively large bowl,blending the tea with hot water, and having a number of guests share in drinking this.

The temae for koicha and usucha differ slightly. At a chaonoyu gathering, the formal system is to have koicha first, and afterward make usucha. Nowadays, the abbreviated style of chanoyu gathering in which only usucha is served has become common. Normally, a chanoyu gathering in which only koicha is served does not happen.

2.Furo(風炉) and Ro(炉)

In chanoyu nowadays, the device used for boiling the water is either a portable brazier, called FURO, or a fire pit built into the floor, called RO, depending on the season. The RO is similar to the kind of fire pit called IRORI(囲炉裏) seen in folk houses of old, and is used in the winter period (November through April). The FURO is a characoal brazier placed on the TATAMI. In May, the RO is covered and the FURO is put out. Due to their differences, the TEMAE changes somewhat, but we many consider the TEMAE as being essentially the same in purpose.

The levels of TEMAE give the impression that there are many varieties, but actually they all follow the basic steps outline in the section above,and the differences are a matter of the use of certain specific implements for the particular temae.

3.Formal and Abbreviated chanoyu gatherings

A formal chanoyu gathering is called chaji(茶事,tea function), and consists in koicha and usucha and also the charcoal-laying temae(炭手前,sumidemae) and cuisine. the charcoal-laying temae is a formalized method of arranging the charcoal in the FURO or RO and comprise a defined KATA. There are rules of etiquette for the cuisine, but the procedures and movements for this are not of the same nature as the temae.

An abbreviated chanoyu gathering may be int he form of a mass gathering or outdoor get-together, where koicha, the charcoal-laying temae, and the cuisine are eliminated and only sweets and usuhca are served. The number of guests at a formal gathering is limited to four or five at most, and the time that it takes is nearly four hours in the case of a most conventional function. However, today's common 'mass gathering" is over in about thirty minutes on the average. Dozens of guests re invited in at once, and this is repeated from five to about ten times during the day.

There also are the abbreviated styles of temae called RYUREI(立礼), which employs tables and chairs, and bonryaku-demae(盆略手前,simple tray temae), which was created for beginners. Such abbreviated forms of temae nonetheless basically follow the previously described pattern.

Rather than the type of temae, the key factor nowadays if the difference in the general scheme of the chanoyu gathering-whether it is a chaji or a mass gathering.