Sado 茶道

Tea ceremony. Sado, which is also called chado or cha-no-yu, is the traditionally ritualized way of preparing, serving, and drinking matcha (powdered green tea stirred in hot water).
Tea drinking, introduced from China, was first practiced only by Buddhist priests, and then by samurai warriors in the early days. Later it gradually spread among common people. Sen-no-Rikyu in the sixteenth century raised it to an art form, which lays the greatest emphasis on spiritual tranquility and simplicity of taste. Greatly influenced by Zen Buddhism, the tea ceremony has in turn influenced many aspects of Japanese culture such as architecture, fine arts, and ways of thinking and living.
Chakai (tea parties) are held not only in chashitsu (tea rooms) but in the open air. Today there are a number of tea ceremony schools, including two major ones : Omote-senke and Ura-senke. Many girls study tea ceremony as part of their preparation for marriage.