What an incredible experience!!!!! And how cool that you have family which introduce you to such traditional customs!
matcha green tea leaves are amazing, and I would take them over a boxed tea any day! (in my opinion anyway) so I cannot share that view, lolz! I sometimes add mint and lemon though, so breaking traditions and customs - well, rules are made to be broken, right?!
The tea ceremony was all quite solemn and formal as you'd expect from a Japanese ceremony with very precise and deliberate movements throughout; it's rather cool actually. Traditionally the ceremony is all about inner peace and a bonding process between host and guest and in true Japanese style it is taken very seriously.
YESSSS!!! I love this about their culture. It brings purpose to even the simplest of actions. A noteworthy lesson for us westerners.
Indeed. And breaking rules often comes with repercussions.
yup! 👍