Along with the Japanese traditional dance (日舞, Nichibu), tea ceremony practice is a mandatory for Maiko (舞妓). Though Maiko perform the tea ceremony in front of customers only once a year during the Haru no Odori (春の踊り, Spring Dance), and I personally have no experience of making tea for customers other than that, tea ceremony lessons are still regarded as very important for Maiko in order to nurture one's beautiful posture and movement. As for me, the class was never my favorite.

But things have changed. Recently, as I became in charge of producing "Tea Ceremony Experience" at YUMEYAKATA, I decided to brush up my skill, and surprisingly, I found it very interesting. The world of tea ceremony is so inspiring and immeasurably deep more than I ever knew.

When I was a Maiko, I always got tired of repeating the forms and the procedures. It seemed endless. Besides, I was stubborn and always demanding reasons for everything. For each steps, asked my teacher, "Why is it so?" or "What's the reason for that?" Now that I've grown up, I am grateful for the patience of the teacher.

In traditional dance lessons, learners are taught that Japanese culture is to learn the form first, and the spirit will follow as you repeat the form. Tea Ceremony practice is literally the same. It is the practice to correct the 1mm difference of movements to make it look beautiful.

Today, I am truly grateful for my tea ceremony practice, because I know it was a great education of personality and for elegance, and the corrections of 1mm has created myself today. I am finally standing at the front door of the world of tea ceremony.

Thank you very much.

Talk to you later.

Beniko