Saturday, December 5 • 2 p.m.
Sunday, December 6 • 2 p.m.

FREE

The Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu or sado) is a highly choreographed ritual of preparing and serving green tea (matcha) with traditional sweets to balance the bitter taste of the tea.

In the early Meiji era, Kyoto Prefecture held the first tea exposition in Japan. The governor of Kyoto asked the 11th Urasenke Grand Tea Master, Gengensai, to create a new tea ceremony style, so that foreign guests could experience the most sophisticated Japanese culture comfortably. The ryu-rei style of tea ceremony was born, in which the host and guests are seated in chairs instead of the traditional tatami mat; this ceremony could be conducted almost anywhere, even outdoors. It was a great success and since then, this type of tea ceremony has been enjoyed all over the world.

This weekend, Hamano Shachu of Urasenke Tea Society presents two ryu-rei style tea ceremonies using a misono-dana table.

Limited to 160 participants each. First come, first served; no RSVP is necessary. Early arrival recommended.