The tea ceremony in Japan goes back some 800 years. It is the traditionally ritualized way of preparing , serving , and drinking MACHA ( powdered green tea stirred in hot water ).

Tea drinking introduced from China was first practiced by Buddhist monks.Buddhist monks used tea to help them concentrate during meditation. And later it gradually spread among common people.Sen-no-Rikyu ( 1522- 1591 )in the sixteenth century raised it to an art form, which lays the greatest emphasis on spiritual tranquility and simplicity of taste.Rituals were developed around the sharing of tea.

In the tea ceremony today , the host prepares and serves tea and food to guests .Both host and guests follow precise rules designed to keep the ceremony simple and attractive , free of wasted movement.The host decorate the tea room and arranges the garden outside the tearoom with great care.The guests admire and comment on the preparations. Masters of the tea ceremony have studied architecture, horticulture, ceramics , calligraphy, history and religion.