1) When guests arrive at the tea house for a tea ceremony, they are asked to wait at the waiting room called Machi-ai until a host appears to greet them.

From the arbor there is a path of irregularly laid stepping stones which leads through the middle gate. This leads to the inner garden with the tea house.

2) Along the stepping stone path is a stone water basin called tsukubai where once a host calls the guests to come in, the guests purify their hands and mouth.

3) They walk towards the tea room stepping on the stepping stones called Tobiishi.

4) The entrance to the tea house is a small opening called Nigiriguchi where the guests require to creep through. The design of the tea house should suggest wabi or the true spirit of the tea ceremony.

5) Once entering the tea room called Chashitsu, guests go around the tea room to look Hanging scroll called Kakejiku and flower called Chabana.

6) Once they guests sit down, Kaiseki meal are served.

7) Once the the guests finish the Kaiseki meal as well as Japanese sweets/Wagashi, they go out of the tea room and wait at the waiting area until a host calls them again.

8) They come back into the tea room for Koicha/thicker Matcha followed by Usucha/thinner Matcha. They first look at the tea utensils.

Once they finish their Utsucha, it is the end of Chakai.