To the people of Asia, however, it is a form of unifying the body and mind. According to the first Japanese tea master, Rikyu, it is a vessel of Tao to attain harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. The Japanese and the Chinese are famous for their tea drinking rituals. A slight diffrence, however, exists between them.
Japanese culture emphasizes the ceremony, while the Chinese accentuates the tea.
This site was developed by a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The site provides a complete explanation on the symbolic meanings and settings of the Japanese tea ceremony. It is like attending a virtual tea ceremony class for students of any level. The Encyclopedia of Japanese Tea Ceremony can provide a deeper and more advanced understanding of the Japanese tea ceremony. He invites people from all nations to enjoy this celebration of art, professing that the Tea ceremony is universal.