Sadoh

There is "Sadoh" in Japan:) I can't say it in English, but it's written "the way of tea" in Japanese. Without Sadoh, you couldn't talk about Japan. Sadoh means that "the sprit of entertaining guests by giving match." In old days, hosts entertain their guests by giving "matcha" like pic. Match is a kind of Japanese tea, and it's very bitter for people who drink it for the first time, but this bitterness is a nice point;) In sadoh, "the sprit of hospitality" is the most important point.
Most of Japanese people drink *otya (means "tea") nowadays, but match is a little special for them becuse there are a lot of *sahoh (means "manners") when drinking match, so many people (even Japanese) feel that it's formal, and they don't drink it in daily lives recently. However, lots of people drink it as hobby.

***When Drinking Match***

Host and guest usually wear *kimono, and they fold their legs under themselves. Host make match for her or his guest in special process. it's so difficult for amateurs to make match well, and they need to practice. Host put the powder of match in teacup and pour hot water in, and mix it quickly with special tools foam it. Meanwhile, guest eats *wagashi. (means "Japanese sweets") It's so sugary because match is bitter, so they can balance their tastes. When finishing to make match, host gives her or his guest match. Host shouldn't hand it directly, and should put it on floor once! Host and guest bow down to each other, and guest says "Otenami haiken itashimasu," (It means " I'll see your skill of making match.") and guest takes it. After turing teacup two and half times, (It's very important point!!) guest can finally drink it. Guest should drink all of it, and she have to make sounds when drinking the last drips. (Making sounds when drinking and eating is very important and necessary in Japanese.) After drink it, guest says "Kekkouna otemaede gozaimashita." (means "Your skill was so good. It was so delicious.") If guests are plural, they sometimes share one teacup. In that case, first guest has to say to second guest "Osakini shitsurei itashimasu." (means "I'm sorry to drink it first.") Ans first person leave some drips of it for second person.

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In these ways, when drinking match, there are a huge number of troublesome manners. Today's post is only a part of them, and it's so long way to be a master of sadoh. But It's Japanese tradition, so I think that young peoples don't have to hate sadoh, and leave the culture of sadoh:)
In fact, my grandma is a teacher of sadoh....She knows about match very well, so I'd like to study about it, and to teach it to other countries' people when I go to foreign countries;D
Do you wanna learn it??