Tea Ceremonies in the “Kōka” Teahouse, Saturday Dec. 1, 2018

Last year, the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum began a regular program of holding tea ceremonies in its Kōka” teahouse, a designated an Important Cultural Property. On Saturday Dec. 1, the museum will hold its third series of tea ceremonies, once again timed to coincide with the period when the garden is at its most beautiful with the fall colors. These will be authentic tea ceremonies but people with no prior experience with the tea ceremony are very welcome to participate.

Date and times: Saturday Dec. 1, 2018
Session 1: 10:30-11:10
Session 2: 11:30-12:10
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

Hosts: tea masters 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 of course welcome to apply for any session.

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 (1,200 yen), which gives you access to the museum, the current exhibition and the gardens, or garden admission only (200 yen).

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; please remove all accessories including rings, bracelets and watches. This normally includes wedding bands and engagement rings.

Contact
Alice Gordenker
E-mail：gordenkeralice@gmail.com