Meimeizara are small plates given to each guest individually, an alternative to passing a shared bowl. They appear where a shared vessel would be awkward — larger gatherings, seated arrangements at a table — and in less formal settings.
In practice
The host sets a plate before each guest with the sweet already on it, so the kaishi paper is not needed for serving, though guests still carry it. Sets of five are usual, since five guests is the standard number. Matched sets and deliberately unmatched groupings are both used, the latter offering the host a way to show a range of wares in one gathering.
About this article
Edited by the operator of Chaen (a one-person operation) / Last updated:
Tea ceremony descriptions can vary by school and source. Where interpretations differ, this glossary avoids definitive claims and focuses on broadly shared understandings. If you notice an error, please let us know viaContact. To learn about our organization, seeAbout Chaen.
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Related terms
- Chaki (tea containers, collectively)chaki
The general term for vessels holding matcha, divided into thin-tea containers and thick-tea jars.
- Chasen (tea whisk)chasen
A whisk cut from a single piece of bamboo, used to mix matcha with water; treated as a consumable.
- Chashaku (tea scoop)chashaku
A slender bamboo scoop for measuring matcha, often carved by the host and given a poetic name.
- Kaishi (paper for sweets)kaishi
Folded paper carried by guests to receive sweets, also used to wipe the sweet pick and to take leftovers away.
- Kashikiri (sweet pick)kashikiri
A small pick used to cut and lift moist sweets; carried by the guest.
- Higashi-bon (tray for dry sweets)higashi-bon
A flat tray on which dry sweets are arranged and offered with thin tea.
- Kashibachi (sweet bowl)kashibachi
A shared bowl or dish in which moist sweets are brought to the guests.