Gaikokujin | 外国人 (Gai-koku-jin: 'outside country person')
As part of my Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree, I had to write a 6,000 word dissertation. I was able to choose any topic of my choice, it didn't have to relate to my practice in any way. Although I thoroughly enjoy writing, I've never considered myself much of a writer, especially academically, so that summer I attended a dissertation seminar to gain more of an understanding on to how to approach writing such a large piece and the advisor there was intrigued to hear I wanted to write about something completely separate from my field of study. After the summer I was assigned a dissertation mentor who was also surprised to find I didn't want to focus on my craft/area of study and that I instead really wanted to hone in on Japanese culture. I'm uncertain as to whether it's unusual for a student to deter from their topic of study when it comes to their dissertation so their reactions somewhat surprised me. I felt that it was important to write about something I was really passionate about in order to do the best I possibly could, and Japan had (and still has) my heart.
I had so much to say about Japan but narrowed my dissertation down to writing about the Japanese Tea Ceremony and I pleasantly surprised myself with my feedback and my grade. Below is part of my dissertation which I have recently edited and extended in order for it to make sense as a stand-alone piece of writing. I'm very excited to announce this piece was published on the Minorities in Anthropology website which focuses on cultural minorities and cultural research. I hope you enjoy the preview below and you can read the full piece right HERE on their website! You are more than welcome to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below as well as on the Minorities in Anthropology website!
Japanese Tea Ceremony: Through the eyes of a Gaikokujin
In the summer of 2018 I made my first, month long trip to Japan. I planned to see and experience as much as possible to try and fully understand Japanese culture; something I’d been interested in for many years. I booked a pottery class, spent time in an onsen, visited countless shrines and temples and my most anticipated experience of this trip, the tea ceremony. I love Tokyo but I was keen to take some time out of the city’s busy atmosphere and immerse myself in the spiritual environment of the tea ceremony.
It was an odd start to the event and not entirely an authentic one; a tea ceremony style room had been created inside an office complex in Ginza. I removed my shoes and entered a regular room which housed a tea ceremony room. I was joined by half a dozen other people from various locations of the world; China, the U.K and America. Rei, our hostess, introduced herself and began the experience with a short video explaining the tea ceremony and where it had originated. It was very informative and interesting that such a beautiful tradition had been carried through the generations of time and still practised today.
We then had the opportunity to mill our own matcha from leaf into powder form using a stone grinder to understand the making process. This however, is not something a guest would do in a traditional ceremony where the host prepares everything and the guest is simply just that. Then using a long-handled ladle and stone water basin, each guest rinsed their hands before making their way into the small and simply decorated room.
I crawled through the small entrance onto the tatami mat space on my hands and knees. I learned that this was a deliberate design for entering into the tea room; within the walls of this space everyone is equal, all status is left at the door. In historical times, even Samurai would be asked to leave their katana outside along with everyone’s shoes.
The ambience had now completely shifted from an office space in Tokyo’s classy Ginza district to a traditional Japanese living space. It felt as though I'd been transported to a quaint, little home tucked away in the backstreets of Kyoto. The room fell silent as Rei went into a private back room for her equipment. I felt somewhat uncomfortable sitting so quietly in a room with strangers in such close proximity. However, my focus soon turned to Rei the Japanese tea master as she began the tea ritual performance known as ‘Otemae’. Every movement she made was executed with such care and thought, from picking up the ladle to whisking the matcha to placing the ladle back down. Every action was performed with grace and accuracy, much like a dance...
- Stevie Aana
Continue reading the article here.
Pictures from the Tea Ceremony event - Ginza, Tokyo. Japan
Comments