Way of Tea » Japan

Beautiful Tea Ceremony Photos

Blake Harvey — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:30:21 +0000

I came across a gorgeous set of tea ceremony photos on Ajpscs’s photostream the other day. The majority of the photos are close up images of various chawans (tea bowls) and wagashi (tea sweets) held by graceful hands with rich, vibrant kimonos patterns filling in the backgrounds.

Click here to view a slideshow of all the tea ceremony photos.

Chair Design inspired by Tea Ceremony Chasen

Blake Harvey — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 07:02:36 +0000

Hiroki Takada’s unique tea ceremony inspired chair design was a featured product of Tokyo’s Design Week. Made of bamboo the chair is styled after the chasen (or whisk) used in the tea ceremony to whisk the tea.

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View more images on Takada’s website

Teaching Tea in Japan

Blake Harvey — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 05:21:35 +0000

Arriving in Japan three decades ago wasn’t easy for Søren M. Chr. Bisgaard, a Danish-born master of the Urasenke school of the tea ceremony. Even though he had already travelled to 30 countries – including many parts of Asia – he found Japan to be a different type of brew.

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Contemporary ceramics update the tea ceremony

Blake Harvey — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:42:53 +0000

Within the tea world there are stunning gardens, contemplative tea rooms, seasonal flowers, delicious foods, and varied tea vessels made of bamboo, lacquer, glass and most often clay. It’s the latter material that is the most varied and used in the Way of Tea throughout its long history. How contemporary ceramic artists are adapting their tea wares to the present day is the theme of a remarkable exhibition now showing at the Musee Tomo, Tokyo, and titled “The Musee Tomo Prize, Contemporary Ceramics for the Tea Ceremony: Free Creativity and Atypical Usage.”

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Artist makes kimonos from silkworm eggs

Blake Harvey — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 02:58:02 +0000

Bryan Whitehead redefines what it means to “make something from scratch.” Starting with some silkworm eggs and easily available natural resources, he eventually ends up with rolls of fine and heavy kimono silk. The textiles created by this Vancouver native are not only beautiful, but it’s as if they also embody some essence of nature he’s refined from around Sagamihara in Kanagawa Prefecture where he lives. From the silk, he fashions kimono and obi, and also mats and wall hangings for use in the tea ceremony.

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Artisans hand down tea-whisk tradition

Blake Harvey — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 03:36:11 +0000

This year marks the 1,300th anniversary of the relocation of the capital to present-day Nara, then called Heijokyo. And while tourists may flock to anniversary events, temples and shrines renovated for the occasion and to special public viewings of Buddhist statues and treasures, Nara has another treasure to be proud of. It is Takayama chasen, tea whisks used in traditional tea ceremonies. Read full article

Video of a Tea Ceremony at Nezu Garden

Blake Harvey — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 05:22:17 +0000

An excellent video from “Let’s Visit Tokyo” provides a detailed look at what really happens during a private tea ceremony in a small tea hut in Nezu Garden in Tokyo. The video shows the whole “light-tea” portion of a tea ceremony. Be sure to check this one out! View article and tea ceremony video

Murin-an: A delicate balance

Blake Harvey — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:07:24 +0000

If you need convincing as to the benefits of the colour green, even the briefest study of the Japanese garden will reveal its importance in landscape design. Holly Kerr Forsyth from the Australian explains key elements of Japanese garden design using Murin-an garden in Kyoto as an example. Read full Article

Urasenke Holds its 2010 Hatsugama-shiki (New Year’s Tea Celebration)

Blake Harvey — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:43:13 +0000

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 a better understanding of Urasenke’s Hatsugama-shiki.)

Barack Obama visits Japan

Blake Harvey — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:57:23 +0000

TOKYO — US President Barack Obama charmed his Tokyo audience on Saturday with references to green tea ice cream, Japanese traditional hospitality and, of course, the small town that bears his name. Read full article