The Japanese Tea Ceremony -The Relevance of a Mindfulness Practice for Sustainability and Pro-Environmental Behaviour

The Japanese tea ceremony is perceived as a transformative practice. Transformative practices for consciousness can be relevant as sustainable pathways. Studies suggest that mindfulness leads to sustainable behaviours and recommends that more studies are done on mindfulness practices. A reason for that is that mindfulness, among other causes, leads to a higher connectedness with nature (CWN), which studies suggest lead to pro-environmental behaviour (PEB). This study’s main result argues that the Japanese tea ceremony is a mindfulness practice that leads to a higher CWN and consequently sustainable mindsets and PEB. The data registered a transformation in attitudes, which include for instance empathy and respect towards the environment, valuing material belongings which may lead to decreased consumption, a non-waste mentality, environmental concern, ecological mindfulness and resourcefulness. Therefore, the Japanese tea ceremony is suggested to be a transformative practice that shows a potential for being a sustainable pathway. Data was collected through a qualitative triangulation research method, deploying both a survey and interviews. A conceptual framework included a way to investigate both the tea ceremony as a mindfulness practice and as a practice that leads to CWN. The data was analysed and suggested attitudes, views, experiences and beliefs that point towards sustainable mindsets and PEB

Spartan Daily, May 24, 1934

Volume 22, Issue 132https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/2168/thumbnail.jp

Mírumilovnost skrze misku čaje: Cesta čaje jako médium transformace

Japonská cesta čaje (japonský čajový obřad) je předmětem zájmu mnoha vědních disciplín: antropologie, estetiky, filosofie, religionistiky, sémiotiky a dalších. Diplomová práce se zaměří na zkoumání cesty čaje a události čajového setkání zejména z pohledu sémiotiky. Fenomén misky čaje (chápaný jako centrum čajového setkání) bude zkoumán na třech různých úrovních: jakožto dar, jako možný základ zodpovědných a ohleduplných vztahů v komunitě, a jakožto médium transformace. Nejprve bude prozkoumán fenomén daru v různých společenských praxích výměny a následně v cestě čaje. Diplomová práce rovněž představí analýzu spojení daru a procesu dávání jakožto způsob pohostinnosti v čajovém setkání. Díky konceptu prostorové sémiotiky se pokusí nastínit transformativní charakter cesty čaje a popsat možnosti proměny lidského chování a vztahování se k druhým prostřednictvím zkušenosti cesty čaje a skrze dar a proces dávání, který je v ní přítomen. Klíčová slova Japonská cesta čaje, dar, pohostinnost, mírumilovnost, proměna, médium, sémiotikaThe Japanese way of tea has been explored with scientific rigor through the fields of anthropology, aesthetics, philosophy, religion, semiotics, and other academic disciplines. This thesis will examine the phenomenon of the "bowl of tea" (considered here as the axis mundi of a tea gathering) on three levels: as a gift, as the basis for the foundation of responsible and considerate relationships in the community, and as a medium of transformation into peacefulness. First, it will explore the nature of the gift in different social practices of exchange in general and in the way of tea in particular. Second, it will present research connecting the gift and the process of giving as a mode of hospitality in the tea gathering. Third, it will assess, through concepts of spatial semiotics, the transformative nature of the way of tea. It will conclude with a statement as to the potential of the way of tea experience to transform human experience and behaviour to others via the phenomenon of gift. Key words Japanese way of tea, Gift, Hospitality, Peacefulness, Transformation, Medium, SemioticsDepartment of Electronic Culture and SemioticsKatedra elektronické kultury a sémiotikyFakulta humanitních studiíFaculty of Humanitie

Nation-Work: A Praxeology of Making and Maintaining Nations

This article bridges the literatures on nationalist projects and everyday nationhood by elucidating a repertoire of actions shared by both. Analysis of such “nation-work” contributes to the cognitive turn in ethnicity and nationalism research by showing how ethnonational categorization operates. The author distinguishes three types of categorization processes at play: (1) we-they distinctions are made across ethnonational groups, (2) these ethnonational distinctions are further specified by linking them with non-ethnonational categories such as gender and class, and (3) differentiations are made within the same ethnonational category by distinguishing exemplary from less exemplary members of the category. Through historical and ethnographic analyses of the tea ceremony in Japan, the author shows how distinctions drawn across national boundaries help select the characteristics of national membership. Yet while nationalism may project an image of a homogeneous “we,” internal heterogeneity is crucial for refining the experience and performance of membership in the nation

The indigenous product concept in relation to international design industry: The instruments used in preparing and driking tea and coffee in Turkish culture

Thesis (Master)--Izmir Institute of Technology, Industrial Design, Izmir, 2006Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 74-79)Text in English; Abstract: Turkish and Englishix, 79 leavesThe scope of thesis is to explain the relation of the domestic product identities with the design industry. In order to identify the cultural identity, the craft and design concepts have been examined and the culture concept in design has been taken into consideration. The relation of globalization and localization concepts with the design industry has been analyzed. As a domestic product the tea and coffee making instruments had been explained. Moreover, the product samples designed to make tea and coffee were examined. Today the Turkish identity in design field has not been constituted yet. This thesis has been aimed to be considered as an example for Turkish design. As conclusion, the local product reflects the identity of the culture where it belongs to. The product should protect its own cultural values in order to take part in international circulation. The product should have the harmony with that culture to be recognized by the other cultures

Spartan Daily, May 9, 2017

Volume 148, Issue 41https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartan_daily_2017/1039/thumbnail.jp

Journey To The Dragon\u27s Gate: A Study Of Hybrid Ride Systems And How They Enhance Attraction Storytelling

The purpose of this thesis is to explore a new type of ride design which integrates one or more transitions between formats. Theme Park visitors have come to expect a certain type of immersive experience from attractions. Most rides in the parks are very predictable such as roller coasters which offer loops, drops, speed and quick turns, while dark rides offer a slower pace with the attention on storytelling. The solution to this situation is to combine two ride systems or more into a single ride. The ride system for my attraction begins with a free-floating boat ride navigating its way down a peaceful river. When it reaches the waterfall, the boat is guided onto a motion platform which lifts it up to the top of the waterfall. It slowly glides through a Torii Gate, past a Powerful Dragon and to the Guests surprise transforms into a roller coaster for a dynamic finish. The results of this type of ride design conclude that transitions between formats gives Guests not only a storytelling dark ride experience, but also an unexpected thrilling surprise in the form of a roller coaster ending. It would provide an increased level of entertainment and a memorable experience for park Guests

Tea Ceremony and Girls\u27 Education from Edo to Meiji

This study explores the development of women\u27s tea ceremony from the Edo (1603-1868) to the Meiji period (1868-1912) onward, focusing on its connection to the good wife, wise mother ideology in the Meiji period. Many girls\u27 schools, led by Atomi school, adopted the tea ceremony around the time of establishing the “good wife, wise mother.” During the Edo period, the population of women practitioners increased significantly. This was not limited to just women from samurai families; it extended to commoners as well. The women’s tea ceremony during the Edo period was greatly influenced by Confucianism and its expectations for women. However, when the Meiji period (1868-1912) arrived, Westernization started to have a major impact. This led to a decline in Confucian education and Edo cultural practices, including the tea ceremony. During the mid-Meiji period, the tea ceremony was reevaluated and integrated into girls\u27 education in response to the resistance against Westernization and the surge of nationalism. Alongside the expansion of girls\u27 schools, the practice of the tea ceremony spread throughout the country. Atomi Kakei, educated in Confucianism during the Edo period, is considered the first educator to have included women’s learnings of the Edo period, such as the tea ceremony, in the school curriculum from its inception. Nevertheless, the presence of inconsistencies in the remaining documents has raised doubts about the introduction of tea ceremony during the early Meiji period. Furthermore, in her autobiography, Oriori-gusa (1915), certain descriptions interweave the early and mid-Meiji periods, suggesting that she adjusted her actions and behaviors to align with the respective times. This study highlights that the ideology of good wife, wise mother played a pivotal role in the spread of the women\u27s tea ceremony. In addition, careful observation of the operation of the Atomi Kakei’s school reveals that the tea ceremony was modernized in a short period of time, in line with the changing policies of the Meiji government