The noon gathering begins with the guests entering at about eleven in the morning and ends with their departure around three in the afternoon. Of the seven recognised forms of full gathering it is the baseline, and the one taught first.
When it is held
Throughout the year, though most often in the settled weather of spring and autumn. Four or five guests are invited, and the four hours cover the meal, the first charcoal, thick tea, the second charcoal, and thin tea in full.
What distinguishes it
Because it takes place in daylight, the hanging scroll, the flowers, and the utensils are all chosen to read well in natural light — a consideration that falls away in the night and pre-dawn forms. The meal follows the standard one-soup-three-dishes structure, built around seasonal ingredients.
Why it is taught first
Once the noon gathering is understood, the other forms are variations on it: the morning gathering shifts the emphasis to coolness, the night gathering to lamplight and fire. It is the reference against which the rest are learned.
Sources
- 正午の茶事（デジタル大辞泉 / 精選版 日本国語大辞典） / コトバンク
Supports: 正午の茶事が茶事七式の一つで、正午から始め会席・濃茶・薄茶などを一通り出す、最も標準的で多く行われる茶事であること
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.
Term info
- Category
- Etiquette
Related terms
- Temae (the procedures of preparation)temae
The choreographed sequences for handling utensils and preparing tea; the substance of what students practise.
- Chakai (open tea gathering)chakai
A larger, less formal event with several sittings in a day; the usual way for newcomers to attend tea.
- Chaji (full tea gathering)chaji
The complete four-hour form — meal, charcoal, thick tea, thin tea — regarded as the most demanding expression of tea practice.
- Asa chaji (early-morning gathering)asa chaji
A high-summer gathering held at dawn, taking coolness itself as the theme of the occasion.
- Yobanashi (winter night gathering)yobanashi
A winter gathering held by lamplight and candlelight, where darkness and the fire become the subject.