Japanese Women, Class and the Tea Ceremony: The voices of tea practitioners in northern Japan : Routledge : 9780415837927 : 0415837928 : 29 Jan 2013 : This book examines the complex relationship between class and gender dynamics among tea ceremony (chado) practitioners in Japan. Focusing on practitioners in a provincial city, Akita, the book surveys the rigid, hierarchical chado system at grass roots level. Making critical use of Bourdieu's idea of cultural capital, it explores the various meanings of chado for Akita women and argues that chado has a cultural, economic, social and symbolic value and is used as a tool to improve gender and class equality. Chado practitioners focus on tea procedure and related aspects of chado such as architecture, flower arranging, gardening and pottery. Initially, only men were admitted to chado; women were admitted in the Meiji period (1868-1912) and now represent the majority of practitioners. The author - a chado practitioner and descendant of chado