Sharing favorite finds from across the archipelago
Thanks to Courtney for this month's post on one of my favorite indulgences here in Japan. I wish she lived next door to me so she could make wagashi at my whim! 😉 Last week, I received a gorgeous gift from a dear friend in Japan. She sent me the book Wagashi by Hajime Nakamura.... Continue Reading →
Awhile ago, I participated in a wonderful tea ceremony at En Tea House in Kyoto. My instructor for the class was Atsuko and after my return to Kyoto, she and I kept in touch. I was thrilled to see earlier this winter that she had fulfilled her goal of opening her own tea room and now... Continue Reading →
You'd think by now that I'd be tired of tea ceremonies. With the numerous tea ceremony tours I led in Okinawa for American service members and families and the few that I've tried here on mainland myself, that's an awful lot of matcha to swill. They've all been worthwhile, in some way or another, but... Continue Reading →
Did you know you can visit nearly all of Japan's 47 prefectures without ever leaving Tokyo? In recent years, there has been a proliferation of prefectural "antenna shops" in Tokyo (mostly in the Ginza neighborhood). These shops give city residents a taste of the prefectures, while providing former prefectural inhabitants with a taste of home.... Continue Reading →
While I was in Kyoto last month, I attended a show at the Gion Corner. I must admit, staged performances like this are not always the kind of activity I look for as a tourist. Maybe it came from a few years of leading large group package tours to places around Asia (and suffering through... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
The tea has been poured, the porcelain admired. Then the hostess at your tea ceremony lays before you the perfect edible replica of a plum blossom. More than just a casual snack, this portion is a work of art. Welcome to the world of wagashi. Wagashi are traditional Japanese confections, elegant pastries so to speak,... Continue Reading →
