The Japanese Culture Cub put on a very impressive Sado, or Japanese Tea Ceremony, Wednesday, Nov. 4 in the LSC Mall area. Now, when people think of a “tea party,” they think of scones and dainty tea cups and women holding their pinkies in the air. “When people think of a tea party, they think of sitting around and talking, and drinking tea, or maybe not even drinking tea,” said Yuki Waugh, a Japanese professor at Sam Houston, and the coordinator of the Japanese Culture Club. However, this could not be further from what takes place at a Sado.
Kanako Fuwa, a graduate student here at Sam Houston, with materials supplied by the Consulate General of Japan in Houston, was able to put on an authentic Japanese Sado for students.
The Sado is one of the oldest traditions in Japanese culture. Since the fourth century, the practice of drinking tea has been in Japanese culture. Green tea has always been used, and it is best used in powder form. Everything from where the guests sit to how they eat their food and drink their tea is highly orchestrated and meticulous.
During the ceremony, students were able to participate in their own tea ceremony. A table for eight was set up, and students were told how to accept the tray of sweets, as those are eaten before the tea is served. “The very sugary sweets are followed by the very strong tea, so they complement each other”, said Fuwa. “The sweetness and the bitterness mix very well.”
After the sweets were eaten, Fuwa mixed two scoops of green tea and hot water together, and served it to the participants. They were then shown how to drink the tea, and how to continue eating their sweets.
“We wanted students to have an authentic Japanese experience,” said Waugh. “We could have just passed out tea, but we wanted them to have a cultural experience, and be able to use the authentic Japanese. ”
The Japanese Culture Club has been extremely busy this semester, with many events going on throughout the fall semester. They had their paper crane making, which had such a large turnout, they had to move to another location to make space for everyone. They also had Ikebana, which is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, which was another huge success for the Japanese Culture Club. “We had to relocate due to the weather, but we still had a huge turnout, and students had fun,” Waugh said.
“We just want to promote Japanese culture throughout campus,” said Waugh.