Entrance
Guests enter the tea room through the nijiriguchi, a very small door which forces the guests to crawl in. After entering, the guest then turns around, puts his shoes together and places them against the wall of the hut, so that they may be retrieved upon leaving.
Greeting
After the guests have settled themselves, the host enters and greets the guests. These greetings often follow a formalized pattern, thanking the guests for taking the time out of their busy lives to come and have tea. The guests each respond in turn, placing their suehiro in front of them as they bow and thank the host for inviting them.
Kaiseki
After the greeting, the kaiseki is served. The elements of the meal are carefully chosen to reflect the seasonal weather and foods. It will generally consist of a soup, protein, vegetables, rice, hassun (something from the mountains and something from the ocean) and sake. The purpose of the meal is not to fill up the guests, but to make it easier for them to enjoy the tea without being too hungry.
Kashi
After the meal, a candy is served prior to the tea. Matcha is drunk without any condiments (milk, sugar, lemon, etc.), and is quite strong in this natural state. Therefore, in order to keep the taste of the tea pure, the guest eats a sweet candy ahead of time, to balance the taste of the tea without altering it.
Kiyomeru
The host brings in the implements, then folds his fukusa in a special way, bringing "heaven to earth" by holding it vertically. He then cleans all the implements in the presence of the guests, showing the care he is taking for them. The verb kiyomeru implies purifying, a concept basic to Japan's Shinto religion.
Pouring Water
Pouring hot water into the tea bowl is done with the hishaku ladle. After the water is poured, the host holds the hishaku as if it were a mirror, in a position known as kyogamae. The host uses this moment to look in his soul as if it were reflected in the "mirror" of the hishaku, to insure that there is nothing within him to hinder his tranquility as he prepares to make the tea.
Chasen-toshi
Slowly swishing the chasen in the bowl, called chasen-toshi, prepares the implements in a number of ways. First, the hot water warms the bowl, helping the tea be better mixed. Second, the beaters of the chasen are softened, making it easier for them to mix the tea. Third, the host can gauge the temperature of the water, in order to decide either if more charcoal is needed, or if unheated water needs to be added to the kettle.
Putting in
tea
For the thick tea of koicha, three huge scoops of tea powder per person is used. Afterward, the host breaks up any lumps in the tea powder, then traces three lines in the tea and returns the chashaku to its former place. Rikyu said that when returning any implement, the host should set it down longingly, as if he loved it; this is an unspoken message of care for the guests.
Mixing tea
Having placed the matcha in the bowl, the host proceeds to mix it directly with hot water using the chasen. By mixing the tea in front of the guests, the host is showing in a silent manner the amount of care he is taking for the guests' sake, and therefore how much care he has for the guests.
Serving tea
After the tea is mixed, the bowl is placed for the guests to pick up, along with a dashibukusa to use as a holder for the tea bowl while drinking. Usually, the first guest will take the bowl and dashibukusa to his place, but when this is not possible a helper or other guest will obtain the bowl for him.
Drinking tea
The last guest finishes the tea in the bowl. Each guest is supposed to sip 3 1/2 times. Notice that a regular fukusa has been used in place of the dashibukusa to hold the bowl. This is often done when the dashibukusa is expensive, ornate or antique, and the guests are afraid of damaging it.
Conclusion
After the guests leave the tearoom, the host comes to the guests' door and bows silently, giving his good-bye, while the guests bow in return. Then the host closes the nijiriguchi door, and the tea ceremony is completed.