Why does a tea room have such a low door?
To make yourself suitably humble by bowing low
Why do cafes in Japan usually not serve green tea?
Why do you have to turn the tea ceremony bowl before you drink from it?
To feel and appreciate the irregularities of the shape
Why is matcha powdered tea so bitter?
Britt Gershon said,
November 23, 2010 at 7:44 am
You don’t ‘have to’ turn the bowl, but correct form is that it should be turned.
A tea bowl has a ‘front’ (even if this is not made obvious with a design). The bowl is turned so that you don’t drink from the front of it.
In Urasenke style of tea, the bowl is turned clockwise, in two or three moves before drinking, and anti-clockwise when the tea has been drunk.
Enjoy!