In the early Meiji era, the Kyoto Prefecture held the first tea exposition in Japan. The governor of Kyoto asked the 11th Urasenke Grand Tea Master, Gengensai, to create a new tea ceremony style, so that foreign guests could experience the most sophisticated Japanese culture comfortably and to show the heart of hospitality of the way of tea. The ryu-rei style of tea ceremony was conceived, in which the host and guests are seated in chairs instead of the traditional tatami mat; this ceremony could be conducted almost anywhere, even outdoors. The use of the misono-dana allowed the host to comfortably prepare the tea. It was considered a great success and since then, this type of tea ceremony has been enjoyed all over the world. This ryu-rei style of tea ceremony, using the misono-dana, will take place in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center in our Cultural Village from 1pm -2pm.