ABSTRACT
The aim of my research is to examine class and gender dynamics among chado¯ practitioners. Hendry (1995) and other anthropologists have argued that Japanese people are trained from childhood to distinguish private feelings (honne) and public behaviour (tatemae). Honne is one’s deep intention or inner feelings, while tatemae refers to motives or intentions that are socially turned to smooth social relations (Allison 1994; Kondo 1990; Lebra 1995; Roberts 1994). Japanese people are disciplined to show their honne only to family or close friends and to disclose only their tatemae to strangers or casual acquaintances. During the course of my fieldwork I was careful to establish good relationships with many practitioners, so that, in analysing my three questions, I was able to pay closer attention to their honne than to their tatemae.
