Category Archives: Top Stories
Our ugly beautiful world
BY AMIN GHADIMI – We live in a beautiful world.
Or do we? Every day the evidence to the contrary seems to mount, and to make such a sweeping claim in the face of so much national and global adversity feels fatuous, even callous and perhaps cruel.
But “everyone recognizes beauty / only because of ugliness,” claims [...]
Mid-Winter Wagashi: Red Plum Blossom with Frost
A wagashi confection that was created in 1699 by Toraya is a beautiful and unmistakable expression of a mid-winter plum blossom. It is called Shimokobai 霜紅梅, or red plum blossom with frost.
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What’s really happening during a tea ceremony
HIROSHIMA – by Courtney Coppernoll – There’s an unfortunate misconception going around that tea ceremony is a very serious, very rigid sort of practice. However, there’s a great deal more to the art than the formal presentation most people are familiar with.
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Urasenke Holds its 2010 Hatsugama-shiki (New Year’s Tea Celebration)
Beginning on January 16 and lasting 5 days, Urasenke held its annual New Year’s Tea Celebration at Urasenke’s Tokyo Branch headquarters.
Read full article (We will post the English translation once it is available.)
Read about the 2008 Hatsugama in English (Similar utensils, scrolls, and flowers are used from year to year. This should give English readers [...]
Freer Gallery of Art Acquires Renowned Object of Japanese Tea Culture
WASHINGTON, DC.- A humble jar widely revered as an icon of Japanese tea culture has been acquired by the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art. The jar was purchased at an auction held by Christie’s in New York City Sept. 17. The jar, made in China during the late Southern Song or Yuan dynasty (13th or [...]
Principles of Tea Ceremony
Alex Fraser of the Epoch Times recently wrote a 4 part series on the 4 principles of Japanese Tea Ceremony. Here are links to each of the articles.
Introduction
WA – Harmony
KEI – Respect
SEI – Purity
JAKU – Tranquility