The Japanese tea ceremony is not a ceremony at all, if that word is taken to mean an unchanging program of actions and rituals. Rather, it is a subtly variable way to commune with nature and with friends. On the surface, chanoyu the Japanese term for what is known in the West as the tea ceremony is a gathering of friends for a simple meal. Every element of chanoyu, no matter how tiny, is chosen to build on and reflect the principles of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. Chanoyu takes place in a small hut apart from the main house.
Guests gather in a porch called the machiai and wait until they are summoned.
To reach the teahouse, guests walk from the machiai along the roji, or garden path. This path represents a transition, a break from the outside world. The walkway is sprinkled with water as an act of purification before the guests arrive. The teahouse is quite small about ten feet square and made of unassuming materials. Although guests enter the house in a predetermined order according to rank, the entryway is small and low about three feet high.