Tea Times  Sept., Oct. & Nov. 2008

We teach ongoing weekly classes in the Urasenke tradition of Chanoyu from beginner to advanced levels. If you would like to experience Chanoyu first hand, and have a lesson on being a guest, we have scheduled 3 dates. Please email or telephone for either Monday, Sept. 15, Oct. 20 or Nov. 10 at 4:00p.m. or 7:30p.m. No prior experience is necessary and the class fee is $20.  Please Email us to make a reservation or for more information about these special classes.

This traditional wagashi Japanese sweet making class will feature sanshoku ohagi and yamamichi.  Sanshoku (3 color) ohagi is made with sweet rice and has various outer coatings. Included will be aonori, green powdered seaweed, kinako, roasted soy bean flour, and an, sweet bean paste.  Yamamichi is a multi colored outer layer of konashi (a kneaded smooth bean paste) wrapped around an adzuki bean center. It is then formed into the shape of an autumnal mountain path.

This class will include both demonstration and hands-on practice. Tea and sweets will be served after the class.

Chabana, the art of flower arranging for Chanoyu, will be the focus of this hands-on workshop. Chabana has deep roots in the more stylized Ikebana arrangements. This simpler style was used in the tearoom by early tea masters when they invited guests for tea.

This workshop will include a brief discussion of the principles of chabana. Participants will enjoy guided practice in making arrangements. At the conclusion of the workshop participants will create a seasonal poem reflecting their final arrangement. Sweets and tea will be served at the end of the workshop.

The theme of the tea will be robiraki, the opening of the hearth that begins the winter season in tea. The hearth is traditionally opened on Nov. 1, at Urasenke. In olden times it was done on an auspicious day, usually a wild boar day as the board is thought to be a protector from fire. Rikyu also said the hearth should be opened when the yuzu, citron, turns from green to yellow signaling the beginning of the cold season. It is also the time to open the newly picked and stored tea from May.

Traditional seasonal sweets, tea and a tenshin style kaiseki meal will be served. This event is open to anyone wishing to enjoy Japanese culture through Chanoyu, the tea ceremony. No prior experience is necessary.

Please call the Japanese Cultural Community Center in SF (415-567-5505) for more information and to make reservations.  You can also view the class announcements on their web site: Wagashi class  Kaiseki class


* Please Email teatimes@chanoyu.com, for more information or to make reservations. Advance payment by mail will confirm your email reservations. As space is limited, cancellations must be made not later than 5-days before each event to receive a refund. Thank you.

back

home