Japanese Tea Ceremony Class with Rotary Club

Today, the Tokyo Rotary Club organized a class to teach students how to perform the tradition Japanese Tea Ceremony. My friend Hiro is the Vice-President so he was kind enough to invite me to experience it.

I had done it many times, once in 1993 when my Grade 5 class took a field trip to the Japanese Canadian Culture Centre in Toronto, the second time was in July of this year at the Japan Tent conference, and last month, I went with Hiro and the rotary club to an unofficial public tea ceremony. BUT, this time it was extra special cause it was an official class with a professional sensei (teacher). So they taught us how to properly fold the napkins, how to properly wipe the bowls,how to walk, bow, move properly around the tearoom, and how to properly drink the tea. There are soooo many rules. It was quite an interesting experience.

The class took place in the famous Konnichi-An teahouse (Today's Teahouse). The teahouse is over 400 years old and is used by many high Japanese dignitaries like Prime Minister Junchiro Koizumi. The name "today's" teahouse was inspired by a poem telling everybody to live life to the fullest. Make good use of your day, don't delve too much about the future or the past. I completely agree with this philosophy.

I can now say I took an official class on the Japanese tea ceremony in Japan's most famous teahouse.

The sensei

My friend Hiro (right). One of the vice-presidents of the Tokyo Rotary club