Entrevistas
Passing on the motto of the Way of Tea into the next generation (Japanese)
(Japanese) Tea isn't just about preparing tea and drinking it. For one cup of tea, all of the preparations must be done by yourself. You need to pump the water, start the fire, boil the water, and make sure everything is clean. The first cup prepared must be offered to Gods. Then, you offer one to your counterpart, and have your own drink as well. So there is this feeling of purity that is the motto of the Tea Ceremony—"wakei-seijaku". Of course, back in the day, the Way of Tea was such a novelty that only the wealthy can participate in. After the war, our daily lives have moved further and further way from nature, but in the Tea Ceremony, everything is in relation to nature. Everything is hand-made with care. You arrange the flowers picked form the field with respect to nature. You give your thanks to the preparers—the most important thing is "appreciation"—yes, appreciation. I think that such a wonderful Japanese cultural tradition is exactly what we need in the world today, a noisy world in constant discussion about tsunamis and earthquakes, or murders and armed robberies. Perhaps the Way of Tea is more important now than ever. So that's how I feel, and I want to pass this on to the younger folks, the next generation, as much as I can, and I think it will be realized.
Fecha: December 19, 2005
Zona: California, US
Entrevista: Nancy Araki
País: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
