Nakadachi is the period during a full gathering when guests leave the room and rest at the waiting bench in the garden. It comes after the first half — charcoal, meal, moist sweets — and before the second half centred on thick tea. It is brief, but it makes the two halves read as separate occasions and gives the second half its added weight.
Origins
It exists in the formal structure of the full gathering specifically to divide the first sitting from the second. While the guests are outside, the host has time to change the room for the second half: the scroll comes down and flowers go up in its place, so guests return to a visibly different room.
Why it matters
Without the withdrawal, a four-hour gathering would be a single long stretch. With it, thick tea is entered as though for the first time. It is the clearest example in the practice of structure being used to manage attention.
Sources
- 中立（精選版 日本国語大辞典 / 世界大百科事典 旧版） / コトバンク
Supports: 中立が、茶会で初入りをし炭と会席が終わったあと客が席を立ち露地の腰掛に移ること。茶事を前席（初座）と後席（後座）に分け、その間に休憩として設けられること
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
- Chado (The Way of Tea)chado
The Japanese practice of preparing and serving powdered green tea, treated as a lifelong discipline rather than a beverage ritual.
- Wabiwabi
Finding sufficiency of mind within insufficiency and plainness; one of the root concepts of tea practice.
- Ichigo ichie (one time, one meeting)ichigo ichie
The principle that every gathering is unrepeatable, and should therefore be treated as if it will never occur again.
- Mizuya (preparation room)mizuya
The back room where utensils are prepared and cleaned; the space said to reveal a practitioner's real ability.