Tea Ceremony in Seattle
Those located in the Seattle area can experience the Japanese tea ceremony at the Shoseian Teahouse, which offers a recurring “Introduction to Chanoyu” program. These 40-minute tea ceremony presentations are an opportunity to participate in the tea ceremony as a guest.
The Shoseian Teahouse
Those located in the Seattle area can experience the Japanese tea ceremony at the Shoseian Teahouse, which offers a recurring “Introduction to Chanoyu” program. These 40-minute tea ceremony presentations are an opportunity to participate in the tea ceremony as a guest. The Shoseian Teahouse is a traditionally constructed Japanese tea house located in the Seattle Japanese Garden. The Garden was designed to perfectly complement the original six-tatami mat teahouse, built by the Shimizu Construction Company and donated to Seattle by the citizens of Tokyo (Gardner 2020). Dr. Soshitsu Sen, 15th Grand Master of the Urasenke Foundation of Japan, bestowed the name Shoseian, meaning ‘Arbor of the Murmuring Pines’ (Gardner 2020). The Urasenke School is the most well-known school of Chanoyu, the Japanese way of tea, and has many branches in many countries. Some tea ceremonies in the Garden are conducted by volunteers from Urasenke Tankokai Seattle, the Seattle branch of the Urasenke school. There are also two other local groups, Umotesenke-ryu and Chaboshu, who host the "Introduction to Chanoyu" experience at the Garden as well.
Local Groups
Urasenke Tankokai Seattle
Tankokai Seattle Association is the Seattle chapter of Chado Urasenke Tankokai. Their mission is to promote better understanding and appreciation of the rich culture and spirits of Japan through the art of Chado. They produced the video below to introduce the spirit of Chado.
Omotesenke-ryu
Omotesenke-ryu is a Seattle-based group that practices the lineage of Chanoyu, which attained greatness under Sen no Rikyu and has been handed down for over 400 years. Their presentations at the Seattle Japanese Garden are "a communication of the minds of host and guests through the enjoyment of delicious tea together".
Chaboshu
Chaboshu is Seattle's premier men's tea group, consisting of members from different Chado schools. Their mission is to promote public awareness about Japanese tea ceremonial practices for men.