It sometimes takes up to a year to prepare for a single tea ceremony because the host needs to select the right flowers...
BITS 'N' PIECES
Omotenashi captures the way in which Japanese hosts pay attention to detail and anticipate their guests’ needs. It is said to have been established by Sen no Rikyu, who entertained his guests through chakai (Japanese tea ceremony). In a chakai, each experience is “ichigo ichie” or a once in a lifetime experience. Thus, it is said that both the host and the guest must act with sincerity.
For the host, this act of sincerity requires immense preparation so that each guest can have the most memorable experience possible. It sometimes takes up to a year to prepare for a single tea ceremony because the host needs to select the right flowers, tea set, hanging scroll and confections to match the season and the guests’ preferences. If the host cannot find the perfect tea cup for the guests from their own collection, they will continue to searching everywhere until they find the perfect match. Tea masters say this is the most difficult aspect, but also the most creative and intellectually interesting part of the process, which will determine the success of the actual ceremony.
Therefore, the invisible thought and care that goes behind choosing the most suitable decorations and teaware for each guest is essential for omotenashi.
In a chakai the tea is prepared in front of the guest. The preparation starts from cleaning the ceramic cup, which is performed in a methodological and ritualistic way. By making preparation public, the host expresses that there is nothing hidden and proves their honesty. One of the roots of the word omotenashi is the phrase “omote-ura nashi” literally meaning “there is no front or back”.
The second root of the word omotenashi comes from the Japanese phrase meaning “to accomplish through both conceptual and physical objects.” Through ritualistic bows and a set of procedures, each guest drinks the tea, appreciates the ceramic ware, and returns the empty bowl to the host. Every movement has a meaning. While omotenashi relies heavily on the host, it also requires the guest’s cooperation to be complete.
One of the main differences between “service” and Japanese hospitality (omotenashi) is that Western service is often done with the hope that customers will pay for a product or an additional service, whereas omotenashi is performed without an expectation of anything in return.
Even in present day, Japanese culture stresses the importance of new encounters, illustrating the degree to which the spirit of omotenashi has permeated Japanese daily life. It has guided the way an individual hosts a guest at home, to how customers are treated at restaurants, to how business partners treat each other.
This short phrase gives way to more openness, possibilities, and collaboration. The truth is, it’s unrealistic to believe that there’s only one side to every story or that you can only be one way and not the other. Life isn’t black and white, and we’re multi-faceted beings at our core. Let go of your limiting beliefs and choose to hold on to life’s endless possibilities through a tiny powerful phrase: “Yes, and….”
You can love someone and choose not to be with them.
You can be a kind person and still say “no” and hold your boundaries.
You can be grateful and not always be happy.
You can live in the present and have goals and intentions.
You can be there for your friends and family and take your time for self-care.
You can be on a healing journey and enjoy the wonders of everyday life.
