Way of Tea » United States

Urasenke Grandmaster performs Tea Ceremony at USS Arizona Memorial

Blake Harvey — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 05:56:17 +0000

In July, Urasenke Grandmaster, Sen Genshitsu, performed a tea ceremony at the USS Arizona World War II memorial to honor all soldiers who fought and died in the war. Sen Genshitsu actually fought in WWII as a Japanese soldier. He said this tea ceremony in particular was the most memorable of his life.

Sen Genshitsu mentions in his book — Tea Life, Tea Mind — that his goal over the past 50 years as Grandmaster has been to promote “Peacefulness through a Bowl of Tea.” This tea ceremony serves as a powerful example of the peace and reconciliation that is possible when we lay our differences aside and embrace what it means to be human.

Watch an ABC news clip of the event on YouTube!

5 Great Interviews with Chanoyu (Tea Ceremony) Practitioners

Blake Harvey — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 05:22:09 +0000

I recently found a very nice blog “Tea and Travel” written by Deborah Huff. Over the past couple of months, she has interviewed 5 practitioners of Japanese tea ceremony. I always appreciate reading how people first became interested in chanoyu and the unique perspectives they have on the different facets of studying Tea. Below are links to all 5 interviews. Be sure to read them all!

Part 5: Interview with Drew Hanson – Drew is an Urasenke instructor in the Philadelphia area and has studied Chado for over 15 years.

Part 4: Interview with Michael Ricci – Michael is an Urasenke instructor in Boulder and Fort Collins Colorado area.

Part 3: Interview with Gabriel Cacilua – Gabriel is an Urasenke instructor in Brussels, Belgium and has studied Chado for over 20 years.

Part 2: Interview with Morgan Beard – Morgan is an Urasenke instructor who lectures and performs demostrations in the Philadelphia area.

Part 1: Interview with Rebecca Lynn Craig – Rebecca is a student of Omote-Senke and owner of a tea shop in Ottawa, Canada.

Cub Scouts participate in Japanese tea ceremony

Blake Harvey — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:42:25 +0000

WARWICK, NY – When Warwick resident Alicia Tate, a Den Mother with Cub Scout Pack 177, met Michael McKenna, an expert on Japanese culture, it occurred to her that her scouts might benefit from his experience. Read full Article

Intricate Japanese tea ceremony meditative, calming

Blake Harvey — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 04:52:36 +0000

PITTSBURGH – Tea has slowed Sally Schurko down.Mrs. Schurko used to work 80-hour weeks in her job in corporate finance. Now, she spends hours performing a leisurely — almost meditative — traditional Japanese tea ceremony.”I was like a spinning top. This has calmed me down,” she said. Mrs. Schurko and Yoko Motoyama spread that calm to a dozen eighth-graders recently when the Brookline Regional Catholic School students spent an hour at South Park Library learning the history and etiquette of a basic Japanese tea ceremony. The students branched out from their usual Spanish language class to learn some Japanese language and customs. Read full Article