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Tea was brought from China during the Heian period (in
the 9th century), and during the Kamakura period (at
the end of the 12th century) tea was used medicinally. Then
gradually the custom of drinking tea as a luxury item became
widespread. During the Muromachi period (in the 15th
century) imported goods from China ('karamono' ) were
used as ornaments in living rooms and as tea utensils, and chanoyu became
firmly established. During the Azuchi Momoyama period
(in the 16th century) Sen no Rikyu gave chanoyu its
final form. For more than 400 years since that time, chanoyu has
been a part of Japanese peoples' lives, giving them spiritual
richness and pleasure. |
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It is said that the essence of Japan's art and crafts is contained
entirely in chanoyu. Chanoyu also had a great
affect on Japanese culture through kaiseki cuisine and
the architecture of the tea room. The revolutionary culture
that tea devotees created became a tradition, and the spirit
of the age was then breathed into it to produce the chanoyu of
today. Through keiko (repeated practice of the actions
involved in tea procedure), basic units of movement (kata)
are internalized. Within the kata which have been internalized
you can feel the tradition and spirit of chanoyu. |
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