Tradition and Creativity Sadō 茶道 Ikebana 生け花 Tradition and Creativity By Aalima Brown-Malika JPN 11 5/8/2017

About Sado Sado, or tea ceremony is the ritualistic preparation and serving of tea. The tea prepared is usually matcha tea, served in 2 servings called koicha and usucha. The full length ceremony (chaji) can last up to 4 hours The tea host/hostess usually spends decades perfecting this art form, taught traditionally and without books Zen Buddhism aspect, i.e experiencing the senses of the now

Brief History Matcha originally available mainly to the elite, and was used as medicine and part of meditation Originally used as a presentation for parties Influence of Zen Buddhists became stronger, making the preparation ceremony a form of spiritual healing Sen no Rikyu perfected the ritual Women became main practitioners “The Way of the Tea” has become a way of life

Steps of Sado 2-4 hours • Serves 4-5 Equipment Essentials Preparation Chakin (茶巾) Tea bowl (茶碗 chawan) Tea caddy (棗・茶入 Natsume・Chaire) Tea whisk (茶筅 chasen) Tea scoop (茶杓 chashaku) Preparation Guest preparation, waiting Purification, viewing Heating of water, several course meal followed by sake and wagashi Purification, ritual cleaning, bowl exchange, end of formal portion (koicha) and beginning of casual stage (usucha) Steps of Sado 2-4 hours • Serves 4-5

Videos of Sado

About Ikebana The Way of the Flower, intricate flower arrangement 3-5 years to learn Most common forms are rikka (standing flowers), seika (living flowers), and nageire (flung flowers) moribana (piled-up flowers) Harmony between flower and container

Brief History Ikebana started with the spread of Buddhism in the 6th century, especially kuge Traditional kuge was three stems arranged symmetrically, and rikka was the first style to develop. Modern seika could be compared to kuge During the Edo period Ikebana spread from Buddhist monks and the elite to samurai, merchants, and women Meiji Era brought the stage of modern ikebana, that employed western influence Unlike sado, it’s part of everyday life

Qualities of Ikebana styles Seika: emphasis on natural charm; ten, chi, jin Moribana:“decorative”-- Adachi Choka Chabana: part of sado, basis of nageire Qualities of Ikebana styles •

Videos of Ikebana

Opinion on Sado I think tea ceremony is beautiful and interesting to watch. The U.S has no equivalent, and since the Boston Tea Party we have elevated coffee over tea. In recent years though, the U.S has become increasingly interested in matcha. While matcha seems to have crossed over, I do not anticipate traditional tea ceremony will catch on.

Opinions on Ikebana Unlike Sado, Ikebana is a more frequent and easily enjoyed leisure activity. Out of all the traditional arts, Ikebana seems like the most easily learned and participated in of the bunch. The US has more of a comparable element with floral shops. Some try to follow Hanakotoba (花 言葉), and focus on flower meanings for arrangement rather than it’s harmony.

Works Cited http://web-japan.org/factsheet/en/pdf/e27_ikebana.pdf http://web- japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/ikebana/ike bana01.html http://web- japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/ikebana/ike bana03.html http://web- japan.org/factsheet/en/pdf/e28_tea.pd f https://www.tsunagujapan.com/traditi onal-japanese-tea-ceremony-sado/