Tea Ceremony in Kimonos in Osaka

The kimono is a traditional Japanese garment, often worn for important festivals or formal occasions.  We participated in a tea ceremony and dressed authentically. We chose our kimono and accessories. There are several steps when dressing, and fortunately we were assisted with the process. It is lengthy but very interesting...and so we will share.  




A few older women and even fewer men still wear the kimono on a daily basis.
Men wear the kimono most often at weddings, tea ceremonies, and other very special or very formal occasions.






 

Kimono -
In addition to the kimono itself, you must have a juban, a koshi himo belt, a datejime, an obi makura belt, and white tabi socks. As you're getting dressed, put on the white tabi socks first. It is difficult to bend down after dressing fully in a kimono, so you should get the socks out of the way while you can.

Put on a slip called the "juban." It consists of a white cotton top and skirt, which you can easily substitute with separate pieces if you can't find an actual juban. Today in Japan, an alternative is to wear only the white collar that goes around the neck called a "cri-sugata".
Put on the kimono, making sure the back seam is centered. For both men and women, you should wrap the right side of the kimono over your body to begin with, then bring the right side of the kimono towards the left side of your body, overlapping it with the left side as you do so. Adjust the white slip collar to show evenly around the neck, just under the kimono collar.
After you have put on your kimono, pull the kimono so the it ends at your ankle. The length of the kimono is always adjusted, which is why there are only a few lengths made by the manufacturer.
As you hold the extra material about your waist, tie the koshi himo belt below the excess material. Cross the belt in the back and tie it in the front. Straighten out the excess material and bring some down to cover the koshi himo belt.
Now take the datejime belt and wrap it around your waist over the koshi himo belt. Tie this belt in the front, leaving the overlapping kimono fabric visible below. The excess kimono fabric should hang out evenly below the belt so that the fabric is seen.
Put the obi makura into place and wrap the obi. Tie both ends of the obi together, folding it in across your waist and tightening it at the center. Then slide it to your back, straighten yourself out a bit, and you should be all dressed up in your kimono.
Now you understand why we needed assistance!

How do we look? 😃

The tea ceremony...
The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea.
Zen Buddhism was a primary influence in the development of the Japanese ceremony.

The first documented evidence of tea in Japan dates to the 9th century, when it was taken by the Buddhist monk Eichū.

Around the end of the 12th century, a style of tea preparation called "tencha" was introduced to Japan. Powdered matcha is placed into a bowl, hot water added, and the tea and hot water are whipped together. 

Our tea master...she xplained the importance of the calligraphy on the wall art. The calligraphy states the importance of the moment- every moment only once. 

Our fellow students in the tea ceremony...

This beautiful kimono is worn for weddings. It is absolutely stunning, each stitch mindfully created. 

The use of Japanese tea developed as a "transformative practice", and began to evolve its own aesthetic, in particular that of "wabi" and "sabi" principles.
"Wabi" represents the inner, or spiritual, experiences of human lives. Its original meaning indicated quiet or sober refinement, or subdued taste "characterized by humility, restraint, simplicity, naturalism, profundity, imperfection, and asymmetry" and "emphasizes simple, unadorned objects and architectural space, and celebrates the mellow beauty that time and care impart to materials".  
"Sabi", on the other hand, represents the outer, or material side of life. Originally, it meant "worn", "weathered", or "decayed". Particularly among the nobility, understanding emptiness was considered the most effective means to spiritual awakening, while embracing imperfection was honored as a healthy reminder to cherish our unpolished selves, here and now, just as we are--the first step to "satori" or enlightenment.