Nyumon is becoming a student of a school and beginning to study tea — the starting point of practice. Study then proceeds in stages within the certificate system.
In practice
The word is used to indicate where someone stands — "to enter such-and-such school", "recently entered". Entering means attaching oneself to a particular teacher, and through them to a school.
What comes first
The usual path begins with the tray procedure (bonryaku-demae), moving on to carrying procedures and then stand procedures. Beginners are not expected to own utensils, and many teachers accept a trial lesson or an observation visit before enrolment.
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.
- Kasei (limpid clarity)kasei
A term of praise for the sense of clarity in a sitting — cleanliness of utensils and stillness of the air.
- Iemoto (head of a school)iemoto
The hereditary head who holds a school's transmission and the authority to license teaching.
- Keiko (practice)keiko
Regular lessons in a teacher's tea room — the ordinary form in which tea is studied.
- Somei (tea name)somei
A practitioner's name granted by a school's head at the senior certificate levels, marking formal discipleship.
- Kyojo (certificate of permission)kyojo
The certificate issued by a school's head permitting a student to learn each stage of practice.