A true tea ceremony is not for the faint of heart. Or rather, for the weak of knee. Traditional tea ceremonies (ie those not performed for tourists) can last up to four or five hours, depending on if a meal is served or not. Thankfully, all of my experiences have been brief. But an hour’s... Continue Reading →
Crash Course: Japanese Tea Ceremony (Part 2)
Let’s see. When last I left you, you all – in your unrestrained desire to know more about chado and all things tea – had followed me through the nijiri-guchi and into the tea house. (Hmmm. Sounds a bit too Lewis Carroll for my tastes. I never did think Alice made good decisions.) But here... Continue Reading →
Crash Course: Japanese Tea Ceremony (Part 1)
Welcome to tea week! No, there's no official pronouncement anywhere that makes this week the one to celebrate all things chado (the way of tea) related, but a quick glance through some of my old pictures the other night reminded me of one of my favorite experiences of the past three years - leading the tea... Continue Reading →