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お茶室の
建築・リフォーム事例
お茶室の
建築・リフォーム事例
椿建築デザイン研究所
Tsubaki &Associates
What is Japanese Tea Room,
"Chashitsu"?
１．What is Japanese Tea Room "Chashitsu"?
In the Japanese tea ceremony, Japanese tea room "chashitsu" is a space created for the master of the tea ceremony, the pavilion master, to invite guests, serve tea, and entertain them.
The chanoyu (tea ceremony), which expresses Japanese sensibility and artistry through the act of drinking tea, was established and the chashitsu developed along with it.
By understanding the structure and meaning of the tearoom, we can understand the spirit of chanoyu, which is important in the tea ceremony, such as "the tearoom is a sacred place, in which everyone is equal" and "respect for the guest by the master of the tea ceremony.
There are two types of tea rooms: the shoin-style tea room, which has been enjoyed since the Heian period (794-1185), and the soan-style tea room, which was developed by Sen no Rikyu in the Momoyama period (1573-1600).
２．Shoin-style Tea Room
The custom of tea in Japan is said to date back to the Heian period (794 A.D.).
Paintings of the time show that tea was served at the tea ceremony, which differed from the tea ceremony of today, at a place of amusement (tucha) for aristocrats, warriors, and Buddhist monks.
The tea ceremony rooms of the time were formalized as shoin-zukuri with a floor and shelves, giving rise to the shoin-style tea room (the prototype of which is said to be the Dojinsai of Ginkakuji Temple).
In this "Shoin-no-cha" style, tea utensils and Chinese objects (tea bowls, calligraphy, paintings, tools, etc., imported from China) were used, and it is said that the influence of Chinese culture and Zen Buddhism was significant, which is a major difference from "Soan-no-cha" (Wabicha).
３．Sen no Rikyu's Souan Tea Room
From the late 15th to the 16th century, there was a shift toward "sōan-no-cha" (wabi tea), which was oriented toward the "mountain residence in the city" (i.e., enjoying the atmosphere of a mountain village while remaining in the city).
Sen no Rikyu, after Murata Shuko and Takeno Shao'o, brought the "Souan" style of tea to its greatest success. Today, the term "tea room" generally refers to this hermitage style.
The standard tea room is a four-and-a-half-tatami-mat room, which is derived from the Zen sect's hojo (meaning "one length and four directions").
Sen no Rikyu, who perfected the tea ceremony, revolutionized the architectural space of Japan and created the tea room, which is why it occupies a unique position in Japanese architecture.
For this reason, tea rooms are sometimes built as stand-alone buildings, and sometimes in hotels, public halls, and commercial buildings.
Various expressions of the teahouse continue to be created today.
What exactly is a tearoom? Here we introduce the basic elements of the Souan tearoom, along with photographs.
４．Garden (Roji)
In front of the tea room, there is a garden or space called "Roji," where guests are invited for tea and walk to the Japanese tea room.
Guests who are invited for tea walk through the path to the tea ceremony room. The visitors cross over the steppingstones to the Japanese tea room, where they can view the plants and the atmosphere, and cleanse their hands and mouths.
This is what makes the sequence of steps into the tearoom so interesting.
５．Crawl-in entrance to the tea room (Nijiriguchi)
One of the most distinctive features of the hermitage teahouse, which dates back to the reign of Sen no Rikyu, is the overflow door.
The entrance is approximately 60 to 70 centimeters square, and one must stoop down and make oneself small to enter.
There are various theories as to the origin of the overgate, but it is said that even if the guest is a samurai of high rank, he or she must place his or her sword outside in order to pass through the overgate, and that the tea room is an extraordinary space where the host and the guest are on equal footing beyond the rank of the host.
The small entrance also makes the small space of the tea room seem larger than it is.
Incidentally, the host of a tea ceremony uses a separate entrance called the sadokuchi (also known as the serving entrance).
In other words, a tea room has two entrances (or three, depending on the room). The tea room has two entrances (or three, depending on the tea room): one for the guests and one for the master.
The flow of the tea ceremony is important, and the entrances and exits are arranged so that the lines of flow of the host and the guests do not overlap.
６．Sunken hearth
In a Japanese tea room, from November to April, water is heated in a sunken hearth installed by cutting off part of the tatami mats. From May to October, the tatami mats are replaced, the sunken hearth is blocked up, and a portable sunken hearth called a furo is used.
Why do we replace them? As you can see when you sit in the position of a regular guest, it has to do with the use of fire to heat the water.
Naturally, it is hot in summer. Therefore, a furo (wind furnace) used during the hot season is placed far away from the guests to keep the fire away. Conversely, during the cold season, the furnace is placed closer to the guests to keep them warm.
It can be said that this is the owner's consideration for his guests.
７．Floor (Tokonoma)
The place where hanging scrolls and flowers are displayed is called the tokonoma (floor).
When guests enter a tea room, they first go in front of the alcove to enjoy the hanging scrolls.
The floor consists of the tokonobashira (floor post), tokomi-stile (floor frame), mata-bashira (opposite post), and ochigake (hanging scrolls), and it is not uncommon for these materials to be sought out over the years for their charm and history.
The floor walls are painted, and in some cases, a base window such as a sumiseki window or hana-mei window is placed on one side of the wall to allow light to enter. The floor is covered with tatami mats or wooden boards.
８．Ceiling
In a Japanese tea room, the ceiling is higher where the guests sit than where the master sits.
As seen in period dramas, people of high rank sit on a high seat or other place where the lower part of the seat is elevated.
In a small tea room, it is not possible to add height to the tatami mats.
Therefore, by raising the ceiling of the guest's position, who should normally sit on the upper seat, it is expressed that the guest is of higher rank.
The materials used are also differentiated not only in height but also in material and design, for example, by separating straw and ajiro.
This is one of the characteristics of sukiya architecture.
９．Preparation place (Mizuya)
A place where the proprietor prepares for the tea ceremony and puts away the utensils.
Looking around the Japanese tea room, there is no place where anything can be stored.
Where are the utensils and water used for the tea ceremony prepared?
That is the mizuya, the space where the tea ceremony is prepared.
From washing, wiping, and drying the tea utensils, all preparations are completed in this small space.
The mizuya is very important and should be large enough for a tea ceremony.