Given the importance of tea in the Sengoku era of Japan’s history, it is only logical that Ubisoft included a tea ceremony in one of its missions in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. We head on over to Sakai to guide you through an important part of the ceremony, taking you a step closer to uncovering the identity of an Onryo responsible for a very personal loss for Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ first act.
The Right Way To Turn The Bowl in The Tea Ceremony
Choosing the option “Turn the bowl twice to the right” during the tea ceremony ensures that Naoe earns the approval of her fellow guests. You get this information during your discussion with Sen no Rikyu.
Sen no Rikyu gives Naoe some useful tips to maintain her cover with Imai Sokyu and his guests, one of whom is the Golden Teppo. For starters, he points out that the tea ceremony is an important part of Japanese philosophy that is a reflection of the virtues it aims to embed among its citizens.
He then dives into the smaller details, one of which is how to turn the bowl of tea when it is offered to you. The short version is that it must be turned to the right so that the front of the bowl faces the person drinking it. That’s because the bowl itself is an important part of the ceremony, and is usually a well-crafted vessel made with artistic care and talent.
Finally, Naoe gets to choose a gift for her host from Rikyu’s personal collection, completing her training with him. At the ceremony, Naoe gets a chance to speak to the other guests before she sits down with them and Sokyu for the actual ceremony.
It is here that Sokyu passes her the bowl of tea that he has prepared and you are presented with a choice of turning the bowl. Bearing Rikyu’s lessons in mind, It’s a fairly easy choice if you were paying attention to Rikyu considering that the other options are to turn it to the left or simply drink from it.
With that part done, you can proceed ahead on the quest. If you are looking for how to get to this part while playing Assassin’s Creed Shadows, we have put up all the details that lead to this point in the game; below.
The Golden Teppo Questline and the Tea Ceremony in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Naoe poses as a budding merchant in the making, infiltrating the house of Imai Sokyu, a wealthy individual in lord Nobunaga’s employ. Her questions about women interested in teppos lead to Sokyu suggesting she attend a tea ceremony he is hosting at his residence to meet a few of them.
Unfortunately, Naoe finds she must learn the proper etiquette and attire before she is allowed to attend, initiating a series of smaller quests to help her acclimatize herself to this important part of Japan’s culture.
Getting a suitable kosode to wear is as simple as identifying the merchant located around Sakai port and stealing silk for the elaborate robe from a nearby pirate ship. However, Naoe will need a more learned source of information about how to conduct herself at the ceremony.
That’s where Sen no Rikyu comes in. This figure from Japan’s actual history can be found in Sakai’s merchant district and is more than happy to give Naoe a few pointers to use at the ceremony.
Once the ceremony is complete, Naoe gets to confront one of the guests about being the Golden Teppo, another choice that we have made easier in our dedicated guide for this exact topic.
