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tea room, tea ceremony room
A specially designed room or small building where the Japanese tea ceremony (chado/sado) is conducted. Characterized by minimalist design, natural materials, a small entrance (nijiriguchi), and a tokonoma alcove. The architecture embodies the aesthetic principles of wabi-sabi.
Usage
Refers specifically to rooms designed for the tea ceremony, not ordinary rooms where tea is drunk. A 茶室 follows specific architectural principles: a small entrance called 躙り口 (crawl-through entrance) that requires guests to bow, a 床の間 (alcove) for displaying a scroll and flowers, and simple materials that evoke rustic simplicity.
The most famous 茶室 is 待庵, attributed to 千利休, which is a National Treasure.