WASHINGTON, March 13, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With 2012 marking the centennial celebration of Japan's gift of cherry blossom trees to the United States, this year's festival takes on a renewed spirit worldwide and marks the enduring friendship between the two countries. In keeping with the festivities, the Urasenke is bringing another ancient Japanese tradition to the United States: Chado – The Way of Tea.
The popularity of tea is worldwide, but nowhere in the world does tea contribute as much to the cultural milieu as in Japan. There, the preparation and drinking of tea has acquired aesthetic significance and has developed into a distinct artistic accomplishment. Chado is known as the most representative form of the spiritual culture of Japan. The Urasenke Chado tradition stands by the principles of Harmony, Respect, Purity and Tranquility set forth by its founding father Sen Rikyu more than 400 years ago. Every successive heir to the Rikyu legacy has kept the Chado vital and meaningful so that it offers an effective path for cultural enrichment and self-cultivation. The gathering of tea is a timeless formula for sharing a beautiful moment.
The Washington, DC Chado tearoom and Roji garden located at 1819 L Street, NW, Suite 220 took six months to develop and build, designed by the grand master with materials imported from Japan. At a tea gathering, there should be harmony between host and guest, guest and guest, mood and season, the food served and the utensils used. Sensitivity to the changing rhythms of the seasons and the harmony with these changes pervades the Way of Tea. Respect, resulting from a feeling of gratitude, is extended not only to the people but also to the objects in the tearoom and garden. In the practice of Chado, when the host purifies the tea utensils, he or she is simultaneously purifying his or her heart and mind. The guests, before entering the tearoom, pass along a garden path to rinse their hands symbolically purifying themselves of the "dust" of the every day world. Preparation teaches the host and guests spiritual fortitude and tranquility to face whatever comes their way in the future.
The opening ceremony for the DC tearoom on Friday, March 23 will be hosted by the family of the Grand Master Zabosai Soshitsu Sen XVI, the son of Hounsai Genshitsu Sen who was Grand Master for 38 years. Grand Master Zabosai teaches and travels worldwide to educate Japan and other countries about the Way of Tea. He is the 16th-generation grand master of the Urasenke Chado tradition. Tea gatherings will follow the morning ceremony, as well as an evening banquet at The Hay-Adams' Top of the Hay. After March 23, tea demonstrations and gatherings can be scheduled through the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Washington DC Association, http://www.tankokaidc.org.
For media inquiries, contact Sherry Moeller, MoKi Media, 301-807-0910 or sherry.moeller@mokimedia.com. High-resolution photographs of the Washington, DC tearoom are available upon request.
About the Urasenke Tradition of Tea
Urasenke Konnichian of Kyoto, Japan has nurtured the rich cultural tradition of chanoyu since the early 17th century. Zabosai Iemoto, 16th-generation Grand Master of Urasenke, continues the tradition of his father, now retired as Hounsai Genshitsu, Former Grand Master, in fostering international goodwill through cultural exchange. Over the last 50 years branches have been established in 21 cities worldwide including North American branches in New York, San Francisco, CA and Vancouver, Canada. Urasenke has become the largest tradition of Chado both in Japan and around the world. On December 22, 2002, Zabosai SEN Soshitsu XVI succeeded as the 16th-generation grand master in the Urasenke line descending directly from Sen Rikyu extending the practice of his forefathers.
Based on Sen Rikyu's Way of Tea, the Urasenke Foundation carries on the seven rules of tea gathering: Make a satisfying bowl of tea; Lay the charcoal so that the water boils effectively; Provide a sense of warmth in the winter and coolness in the summer; Arrange the flowers as though they were in the field; Be ready ahead of time; Be prepared in case it should rain; and Act with the utmost consideration toward your guests. Harmony, respect, purity and tranquility are the Way of Tea in a Chado environment, which includes a tearoom and Roji garden. For more information, go to http://www.urasenke.or.jp/texte/index.html.
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