Despre Ceremonia Ceaiului, Sado - 15 octombrie

In data de 15 octombrie am continuat intalnirea de deunazi cu o explicatie mai amanuntita despre Ceremonia Ceaiului si ceea ce inseamna aceasta pentru japonezi si pentru toti cei care o practica. La inceputul intalnirii fiecare participant s-a prezentat in limba romana, iar cei care au stiut, in limba japoneza, pentru a fi intelesi de catre cei 6 oaspeti veniti din Kyoto care se aflau cu noi in acea seara. 

Dupa prezentari, dl Radu Nedisan a inceput o prezentare mai pe larg a Ceremoniei Ceaiului si ceea ce inseamna aceasta, precum si cateva din elementele direct legate de aceasta, cum ar fi casa de ceai, gradina casei de ceai si ustensilele folosite.

Ceremonia ceaiului este o arta profunda pe care nu o putem intelege foarte bine doar privind din afara. Ceea ce noi vedem, mai multi oameni care servesc ceai, poate parea ceva banal. Totusi, Ceremonia Ceaiului ascunde sub aparenta simplitate un set complex de reguli de la care abaterea este interzisa. O greseala din partea celui care efectueaza ceremonia ceaiului poate fi o ofensa grava pentru persoana servita. Oaspetii prezenti la ceremonia ceaiului sunt persoanele privilegiate iar persoana care serveste ceaiul isi ofera serviciile celor serviti, incercand a faca acest lucru cat mai bine, cat mai aproape de perfectiune, respectand regulile stabilite de scoala din care face parte maestrul de ceai. La randul lor, oaspetii trebuie sa aiba un comportament potrivit in casa de ceai si sa se arate demni de a fi serviti.

În Japonia aceasta arta se practica traditional in cercurile inalte ale societatii, pentru a arata gratitudinea si respectul fata de o persoana sau fata de un grup de persoane care au fost invitate la ceremonie. Desi Japonia este tara samurailor, samuraii fiind participanti obisnuiti la astfel de ceremonii, in casa de ceai nu erau permise niciodata arme, acestea fiind lasate obligatoriu la intrare, iar intrarea in casa de ceai se facea printr-o usa foarte mica ce obliga pe fiecare sa se incline, astfel incat toti cei care intrau in casa de ceai erau adusi la acelasi rang pe durata ceremoniei. Important, in casa de ceai nu se purtau niciodata conversatii ce puteau denota rangul in societate al persoanelor, nu se vorbea despre bani, despre politica, razboi, ci doar despre lucruri frumoase, pasnice, care puteau sa ii relaxeze pe participanti.

In ziua de azi, participarea la Ceremonia Ceaiului este mai la indemana deoarece exista case de ceai care fac acest lucru contra cost. Pe de alta parte se intampla foarte rar sa fii invitat la o Ceremonie a ceaiului de catre un maestru, iar daca acest lucru se intampla este o onoare foarte mare si un lucru de invidiat.

Dupa prezentarea facuta de Radu, a urmat o discutie cu publicul despre lucrurile prezentate, in care publicului i s-a raspuns la intrebari de catre maestrul de ceai, dna Setsuko Onizuka si s-au adus explicatii suplimentare.

In continuare trecand de la lucruri serioase la lucruri mai amuzante, dl Kaoru Onizuka, nepotul dnei Setsuko Onizuka, a prezentat cateva lucruri despre tineretul din Japonia la ora actuala, modalitatile de petrecere a timpului, cum ar fi jocurile video, karaoke sau diferitele tipuri de cafe-uri, cum ar fi Maid Cafe, Tsundere Cafe, Imouto Cafe si altele. 

Am auzit lucruri amuzante, dar si lucruri interesante, si altele care ne-au pus pe ganduri.

Dupa prezentarea facuta de catre Kaoru, a urmat un moment origami, impreuna cu dna Chieko Hino, care ne-a aratat cateva modele de origami si ne-a invatat sa confectionam un coif japonez numit kabuto care se poate transforma in pestisor auriu numit kingyo. 

Dupa momentul de origami, dna Hino ne-a invatat un cantec japonez traditional care vorbeste despre povestea iepurelui si a broastei testoase, numit Moshi Moshi Kame Yo. Publicul a fost invatat apoi si miscarile de dans cu mainile, pe care a trebuit sa le facem tot mai repede. A fost un moment frumos si distractiv.

Dupa acest moment de revigorare, dna Onizuka, maestru de Ceremonia Ceaiului, a tinut un scurt discurs despre Ceremonia Ceaiului, in completarea celor mentionate mai devreme in acea seara. 

Dupa discursul dansei aceasta a fost rugata sa ramana pe loc si a fost invitata pe scena si dna Miai pentru a le putea canta La multi ani! cu ocazia zilei de nastere a celor doua doamne.

In final, dupa ce au taiat prajitura pregatita pentru dansele, au fost prezentate de catre dl Katsutaro Kawai cateva jucarii aduse de catre grupul din Kyoto din Japonia, intre care kendama, wanage, daruma otoshi si fuusen, 

dupa care publicul a fost liber sa ii cunoasca pe japonezi, sa discute, sa se joace cu jucariile, sa faca poze cu oaspetii japonezi si sa se bucure impreuna.

******** English version bellow:*********

On 15^th October we continued the meeting that we started the day before with a more detailed explanation about the Tea Ceremony and what it means for the Japanese and for other people who practice it. At the beginning of the meeting every participant had the chance to introduce themselves in Romanian language, and the people who spoke Japanese, could do it in Japanese for the 6 guests from Kyoto to be able to understand. After the presentations, Mr. Radu Nedisan started an elaborated presentation of the Tea Ceremony and about its meaning, as well as some elements directly linked to it, like the teahouse, the garden of the teahouse and the implements used in the ceremony.

Tea Ceremony is a profound form of art which we can hardly understand only by watching from outside. What we see, a group of people who drink tea might appear trivial. However, the Tea Ceremony hides under its apparent simplicity a complex set of rules the breaching of which is forbidden. A mistake on the part of the ceremony master can be an offense for the person who is being served tea. The guests present at the ceremony are privileged and the person who is serving tea is offering their services to the guests, trying to do this as good as they can, as close to perfection as possible, respecting the rules of the school they are part of. In turn, the guests need to have an appropriate behaviour in the teahouse to be worthy of being served.

Traditionally, this art was practiced only in the aristocratic society to show gratitude for a person or a group of people who were invited to the ceremony. Even though Japan is the country of the samurai, the samurai class of people being the main participants to this kind of ceremony, in the teahouse were never permitted weapons, swords and the like being always left at the entrance of the teahouse. The entrance itself was special, the people who entered the teahouse being forced to enter through a very small entrance which made bowing compulsory, so as all the people who entered the teahouse were brought to the same rank during the ceremony. It is important to mention that in the teahouse discussions that could betray the participant’s rank in the society and discussions about money, war and politics were never permitted, and only discussions about beautiful things were permitted so as to create a relaxed atmosphere.

Today, the participation to a Tea Ceremony is more facile since there are events where people can see or participate in a tea ceremony for money. On the other hand it is highly unlikely to be invited to a Tea Ceremony by a master, and if it were to happen it is a great honour and something to envy.

After Radu’s presentation, a discussion with the public about the things that were presented followed, where the public was answered questions by the tea master Ms. Setsuko Onizuka.

Afterwards, going from serious things to more entertaining matters, Mr. Kaoru Onizuka, Ms. Onizuka’s nephew presented a few things about the Japanese younger generation nowadays, their ways of spending time, like video games, karaoke and different kinds of cafe bars, like Maid Cafe, Tsundere Cafe, Imouto Cafe and so on. We heard things that made us laugh, smile, interesting things and also things that made us meditate.

After Kaoru’s presentation, an origami moment followed, led by Ms. Chieko Hino, who presented a few origami models and taught us how to make a Japanese helmet called kabuto, which could be turned into a golden fish called kingyo. After the origami moment, Ms. Hino taught the public the song of the rabit and the turtle, called Moshi Moshi Kame Yo. The public was then taught the dance moves for the song, which we had to perform faster and faster. It was nice and funny moment.

After this refreshing moment, Tea Ceremony master Ms. Onizuka held a short discourse about Tea Ceremony, adding a few expert opinions to the ones that had already been told that evening. After her discourse, she was asked to remain on the stage and Ms. Miai had also been invited on the stage in order to sing Happy Birthday! with the occasion of their birthdays.

In the end, after they cut the cake, Mr. Katsutaro Kawai showed to the public a few toys brought by the group from Japan. Among the toys there were keridamas, a wanage, a daruma otoshi and a fuusen. Afterwards, the public were free to go and make friends with the Japanese, talk, play with the toys, take pictures with our guests and have fun together.