Chanoyu — literally "hot water for tea" — is the general term for the Japanese tradition of preparing matcha and receiving guests with it. It took shape in the Muromachi period and has continued through the Momoyama and Edo periods to the present as a composite art.
Difference from chado
Where chado ("the way of tea") emphasises the character of the practice as inward cultivation, chanoyu more often refers to the practice and the doing. Historically chanoyu is the older term; chado is held to have spread from the Edo period onward.
In practice
Chanoyu serves as the general term for gatherings of every kind and as a name for the activity as a personal pursuit — "to be devoted to chanoyu", "chanoyu single-mindedly" — expressions describing a culture integrated into a life rather than a scheduled hobby.
Sources
- 茶の湯（デジタル大辞泉 / 改訂新版 世界大百科事典） / コトバンク
Supports: 客を招いて抹茶を点てて楽しむこととその作法・会合を指し、喫茶を中心とする宴の芸能として発展した日本独特の生活文化であること
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.
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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.
- Kaigai chado (tea practice outside Japan)kaigai chado
The spread of tea practice abroad, organised into branches on several continents since the mid-twentieth century.
- Josei chado (women in tea practice)josei chado
The predominance of women in modern tea practice — a consequence of Meiji-period girls' education, not of older tradition.
- Senchado (the way of steeped tea)senchado
A separate tradition centred on steeped leaf tea, with its own utensils and its own literati background.