Bushidô, the way of the warrior, required that the Samurai study and master intellectual skills.
These included calligraphy, ikebana (the art of flower arrangement), waka poetry and the tea ceremony,
cha-no-yu.
The tea ceremony, the environment in which it took place and the bowls used were extremely ascetic,
the participants’ movements, gestures and their mode of speech being governed by strict rules.
These released the participants from having to regulate their behaviour for themselves,
making it easier for them to concentrate, and achieve spiritual harmony and serenity.
The ceremony had a profound spiritual significance and brought enlightenment.
The Samurai also valued the aroma and taste of tea made by an experienced master,
as well as the artefacts which formed part of the ceremony. During the Edo era, the tea ceremony
had clearly become an interest of the more wealthy section of the population.
