Tea Ceremonies in the “Kōka” Teahouse, Saturday March 24, 2018

In 2015, the “Kōka” teahouse in the garden of the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum was designated an Important Cultural Property along with the Prince Asaka Residence and other parts of the museum complex. Last year, for the first time, the museum sponsored a series of tea ceremonies, held Dec. 3 in the teahouse. We are pleased to offer this popular program once again, this time during cherry-blossom season, and invite you to enjoy a spring tea ceremony in this beautiful teahouse. These will be true tea ceremonies but people with no prior experience with the tea ceremony are very welcome to participate.

Registration and fees:
Date and times: Saturday March 24, 2018
Session 1: 10:00-10:40
Session 2: 11:00-11:40
Session 3: 13:00-13:40 (with English interpretation)
Session 4: 14:00-14:40
Session 5: 15:00-15:40
Session 6: 16:00-16:40
Reservation has been closed.

Location: “Kōka” Teahouse, in the garden of the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum

Host: a tea master from the Chōsō group of the Mushakōji Senke School of Tea, one of the three historical households directly descended from the 16th century tea master Sen no Rikyū.

Capacity: Limited to 20 persons per session (reservations will be closed as soon as a session reaches capacity). Foreign visitors and residents (and Japanese accompanying foreign residents) will be given priority for Session 3, which includes English interpretation, but foreigners who don’t require English interpretation are welcome to apply for any session.

We ask that you come to the museum’s ticket booth by the main entrance gate no later than 20 minutes before your session begins in order to make the necessary payments. You will receive your tea-ceremony ticket there. From there, please proceed to the garden and complete your registration at the teahouse at least 10 minutes before the start time.

Fee: 1,000 yen per person for one session (includes a serving of “usucha” tea and a traditional sweet. You will also need to purchase regular museum admission, which gives you access to the museum, the current exhibition and the gardens.

Online registrations begin on Monday March 5 through the museum website. It is not possible to register by telephone or fax. We cannot accept wait-list requests or changes in session times. The tea ceremonies will be held rain or shine, regardless of the weather. If you must cancel, we ask that you contact the museum no later than 10 minutes before the tea ceremony begins.

Please follow these points of tea-ceremony etiquette: do not wear short skirts or come with bare legs; please have white socks or tabi to cover your feet before entering the teahouse; remove all accessories including rings, bracelets and watches. This normally includes wedding bands and engagement rings.

Contact
Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, Tea Ceremonies program
Tel 03-3443-0201 Fax 03-3443-3228

E-mail：info@teien-art-museum.ne.jp