Before the lesson
Before any lesson starts, you must aisatsu (formal greeting). Aisatsu is always done using your sensu, with your fukusa stored inside your kimono.
Sensu vs fukusa
Your sensu (fan) and your fukusa (silk cloth) are mutually exclusive.
In the real world, you wear your fukusa whenever you are in a host role. This includes the person doing temae, helpers in the back, ushers, etc. Moreover, the fukusa is worn for the entire duration of the event, from before the first guess arrives until the last guest leaves.
Your sensu is worn all other times, including when you are a guest and when you are “out and about.”
Okeiko is strange and occupies both. When you enter the tea room to do temae, you embody the host role (fukusa only). Before and after, you embody the student role (sensu only).
Aisatsu order and phrasing is as follows, with sensu out in front of you:
| Japanese | English | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| [Hakobi usucha] no okeiko yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. | Please teach me [hakobi usucha]. | Teishu to teacher |
| Kyaku no okeiko yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. | Please teach [us] guest manner. | Guests to teacher |
| O-kyaku-sama yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. | Please be my guest. | Teishu to guests |
| Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. | Let’s do this together. | Guests amongst each other |
After the lesson
Aisatsu after the lesson follows the same sequence. Put your fukusa away, take out your sensu, and thank everybody for participating:
| Japanese | English | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| [Hakobi usucha] no okeiko arigatou gozaimashita. | Thank you for teaching me [hakobi usucha]. | Teishu to teacher |
| Kyaku no okeiko arigatou gozaimashita. | Thank you for teaching [us] guest manner. | Guests to teacher |
| O-kyaku-sama arigatou gozaimashita. | Thank you for being my guest. | Teishu to guests |
| Arigatou gozaimashita. | Thank you for doing this together. | Guests amongst each other |