Portland Japanese Garden will offer free public demonstrations of Chadō, the Way of Tea, at the Cathy Rudd Cultural Corner in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center from 1:15 – 2:15pm.
In honor of the New Year, Jan Waldmann will present a special Japanese tea ceremony known as Hatsugama (初釜). The kanji, or Japanese characters, for Hatsugama mean “first/new” and “kettle.” For tea teachers and students, the first kettle (or tea ceremony) of the new year happens in a festive event between January 1 and 11th when the tea master reverses roles and serves tea to all their students.
The Way of Tea is intrinsically linked to Japanese gardens and understanding the kokoro (heart) of Japanese gardening.
About Tea Ceremony
The traditional Japanese tea ceremony is a particular manner of preparing and drinking a bowl of tea. More than just making and serving tea, this tradition is based in formality and in many ways is a microcosm of the Japanese sense of omotenashi, which translates as wholehearted hospitality. It is a type of practice comprising of choreographed movements which serve as a foundation where both the host and the guest can escape from the fast pace of everyday life and involve all their senses and experience a serene feeling of calm.
