Issoan Tea School News and Events

Saturday, July 20, 1 and 2 pm 
Chanoyu demonstration at Kashintei, the teahouse at the Portland Japanese Garden

Sunday July 21st
Seichuki at Kashintei, the Portland Japanese Garden teahouse

Friday, August 2; 5-8 pm Chehalem Cultural Center August ArtWalk celebrates the world of woodfire ceramics with our exhibition of master ceramicists from around the region: "West Coast Woodfire: A Legacy of Innovation and Influence." 6:00 pm: Margie Yap will be here to demonstrate a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, highlighting the woodfired tea bowls featured in the exhibit.

Saturday August 3, Oregon Buddhist Temple's Obonfest 2013 from 3:00 pm to 9:00pm. Join us for food, gifts, entertainment and dancing. This year's Obonfest features -- Food items: yakisoba, yakiniku, yakitori, shave ice, manju, chirashi sushi, beer garden, soft drinks, Spam musubi
Program: Tanuki Taiko, Portland Taiko*, Martial Arts Demonstration, Temple Talks, Bon Odori (public dance)
Vendors: Michiko Selby (Oshie art using chiyogami paper), Miwa McCree (massage), Kaori Oya (Shiatsu massage), Hiroshi Ogawa (Japanese Pottery), Margie Yap from Sweet Persimmon (handmade purses and meditation products), Karen Fullerton (notecards and art), Kinokuniya Bookstore (Japanese books, music, misc items) Others: Omiyage shop, T-shirt sale, children's corner, raffle

Sunday August 11, Chashaku/Bamboo Hanire Workshop. 10 am -noon at Issoan Tea Room. Fee is $35.
Bamboo chashaku, tea scoop carving and flower vase workshop. Bamboo materials, saws, chisels and knives provided, if you have your own carving knife, or utility knife please bring it. Demonstration of techniques, but mostly hands-on working the bamboo. Space limited to 6. Sign up and reserve your space via Paypal at left. THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL, CONTACT ME TO GET ON THE WAITING LIST

Regular classes at Issoan Tea Room:
Wednesdays 7-9 pm - Intermediate studies
Thursdays 7-9 pm - Beginning Chado
Saturdays 1-3 pm - Beginning Chado
Saturdays 3-5 pm - Intermediate studies

Shogatsu 2013

The Portland Japanese Garden Shogatsu celebration, where we made tea for the public with the Misonodana.

 

 

Chado - the way of tea presentation

Chado the way of tea
Presented in the Kashintei Tea House
Portland Japanese Garden

Saturday, October 20
1 p.m. & 2 p.m.|
Included with Garden Admission

Join us in the Tea Garden for a presentation of tea prepared by Kashintei Kai. Chado presentations are offered at the Portland Japanese Garden on the third Saturday of every summer month at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.

Chado 茶道, the Way of Tea, is the practice of preparing, serving, and drinking Tea. Since the 15th century, it has been a study in preparing a bowl of powdered green tea (matcha 抹茶) as well as incorporating many of the arts of Japan. This elegant yet simple practice reflects the philosophy of the four principles of Tea:

Harmony: Wa 和
Respect: Kei 敬
Purity: Sei 清
Tranquility: Jaku 寂

Presentation at the Portland Japanese Garden

Issoan Tea School will be presenting Chado, the Way of  Tea at the Portland Japanese Garden this Saturday, July 21st at 1 and 2 pm.

Please join us for a presentation of the Tea Ceremony at Kashintei, the "Flower heart arbor" tea house at the Portland Japanese Garden.  The presentat6ion is free with admission to the garden.

Chado 茶道, the Way of Tea, is the practice of preparing, serving, and drinking Tea. Since the 15th century, it has been a study in preparing a bowl of powdered green tea (matcha 抹茶) as well as incorporating many of the arts of Japan. This elegant yet simple practice reflects the philosophy of the four principles of Tea:

Harmony: Wa 和
Respect: Kei 敬
Purity: Sei 清
Tranquility: Jaku 寂

Where: Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, Oregon 97205
When:  Saturday, July 21, 2012 at 1 and 2 pm
For more information: Chado the way of Tea, (503) 223-1321

April is the month for Tea

Sunday April 1
Japanese Tea Ceremony
The Lavender Tea House
Sherwood, OR

Cherry Blossom Festival
Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony by Issoan Tea
Come celebrate the blooming cherry blossom's like they are in Japan by joining us for a traditional Japanese Ceremony Tea. Tea & Japanese pastries provided. Sun, April 1st, 2pm, $25 Reservations required.



The Lavender Tea House
16227 SW 1st Street
Sherwood, OR 97140
503-625-4479
LavenderTeaHouse@yahoo.com

Saturday, April 7 
Japanese Tea Ceremony
The Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants, Portland, OR


Japanese Tea Ceremony Presentation by Issoan Tea.  Saturday, April 7 from 10 am to 11 am.  Observe the ceremony followed by matcha and authentic Japanese Tea sweets made by Yume Confections will be served.  Reservations required.


The Jasmine Pearl
724 NE 22nd Ave.
Portland, Oregon 97232
mail@thejasminepearl.com
503-236-3539

Meditation Moments
Tea Ceramics by Richard Milgrim
Paintings by Hiroshi Senju

April 6 – 29, 2012
Garden Hours in the Pavilion

Included with Garden Admission
Tea demonstrations weekends at 1 and 2 p.m.
For centuries, the remarkable healing properties of tea have been recognized in Eastern medicine. An infusion of tea leaves brought alertness and energy to Buddhist monks who needed to stay awake during the long hours of meditation that were required in their spiritual practices. Rich in vitamin C, green tea is recognized today as an anti-oxidant, perhaps effective in preventing cancer. Shared eagerly among friends in cultures around the world, a cup of hot tea is considered a true luxury today as it has been for nearly two thousand years.

In Japan, the custom of tea drinking was elevated to an art form. For Zen Buddhist priests and sophisticated laymen of the 15th century, the practice of Chado, the Way of Tea, involved a deep commitment to a spiritual path to attaining harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility in daily life. Performing what has been referred to as the “tea ceremony,” while based originally on the simplest act of sipping a bowl of tea with friends, has evolved more complex aesthetic and spiritual implications.
Chanoyu, the practice of preparing tea in this manner, requires a tranquil setting and meticulous attention to detail. A long history of creating exquisite environments in which to conduct these events resulted in the production of marvelous crafts—tea bowls, scoops, whisks, jars, containers, and braziers—as well as fine hanging scroll paintings and calligraphy.

Richard Milgrim is one of the rare non-Japanese potters who has reached the heights of recognition not only in the U.S. but also in Japan, where his work is highly sought after. Milgrim’s work has been lauded by the grand master of the prestigious Urasenke School of Tea in Kyoto. This exhibition of his tea ceramics is part of the 2012 Art in the Garden series that explores the theme of Healing Garden with exhibitions and lectures that focus on the Japanese approach to health and well-being.

To complement Mr. Milgrim’s tea utensils, we are most honored to show a selection of hanging scrolls by the internationally acclaimed painter Hiroshi Senju, whose famous waterfall paintings hang in many of the great museums around the world. Mr Senju divides his time between his studio in New York and his work as President of the Kyoto University of Art and Design.


Saturdays and Sundays
April 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, and 29
1 p.m. & 2 p.m.
Free with admission/$5 matcha tea
In conjunction with the exhibition Meditative Moments: Tea Ceramics by Richard Milgrim and Paintings by Hiroshi Senju, the Garden will offer two tea presentations of the Way of Tea each Saturday and Sunday in the Pavilion Gallery. These will take place at 1 & 2 p.m. and will be prepared by members of Kashintei Kai, the tea society associated with the Garden’s Kashintei Tea House. Visitors who wish to try a bowl of the frothy matcha tea may purchase a $5 ticket at the Admission Gate.

Calendar

Upcoming Events for Issoan Tea School

Januray 21, Introduction to Chado 10 week class begins, 1:30 -3:00
January 29, Kagetsu at Meiko'sensei's house 1:30- 4:00 pm
Feb. 3rd  International School of Beaverton demo 5-8 pm
Feb. 15, Beginning chanoyu - tray style 10 week class begins 7:00-8:30
Feb. 16, 17 18, 19  Portland Garden show  demos.  Thursday afternoon through Sunday
Feb. 26 Kagetsu class at Mieko sensei's 1:30 -4:00

Demonstrations and presentations in September

September we will be busy with presentations and demonstrations of Chanoyu:

Saturday September 10 - Calaroga Terrace tea demonstration for 60 residents only


Monday September 12 - Portland Japanese Garden, Moonviewing tea demonstration  7:30 pm, registration required


Tuesday - Thursday September 13-15 Widbey Island, Serving tea for Roshi installation, by invitation only

Saturday September 17 - Portland Japanese Garden, Tea presentation 1 and 2 pm, free with admission to the garden, please come join us.

Tea ceremony demo at the Supper Club

We will be doing a tea ceremony demo this Sunday at the Special Snowflake Supper Club, a roving dining series.  This month's theme imagines what would be served if "a Buddhist monk and a European explorer sat down and shared a meal." Dishes are likely to include Tibetan barley bread, roasted wild boar leg, water buffalo jerky, and saffron-infused fish pie. The event starts off with “Cocktails and Commerce”, during which guests can “promote their cottage industries and small businesses then proceeds to the feast. We will provide part of the entertainment.

 When: 7 pm., Sunday June 05 | $40, limited number of $25 seats for volunteers
Where: Bakery Bar, 2935 NE Glisan St.
Reservations: Contact Heather Julius at snowsupper@gmail.com

Edited to add: There are only 20 seats left at the supper club.
For more information go to: The Special Snowflake Supper Club

Book Review: Kitcho

I recently hosted a good friend of mine for the weekend and as a thank you he ordered this beautiful book: Kitcho, Japan's Ultimate Dining Experience, by Kunio Tokuoka. Hardbound  ISBN 978-4-7700-3122-8

This is book is the story of Kitcho, a kaiseki restaraunt with a premier reputation in Japan.   Chef Tokuoka relates how is grandfather began serving meals based on historical records of tea ceremonies given by Matsudaira Fumai. Kaiseki was typically not available unless you were invited to a tea ceremony.  Today, thanks to Kitcho's founder, Teiichi Yuki, the principals of seasonality, simple preparation and beautiful presentation of the kaiseki meal is firmly planted in the mainstream of Japanese haute cuisine.

The book is divided into five sections:  Spring Kaiseki, Summer Kaiseki, Fall Kaiseki, Winter Kaiseki and The Kaiseki Kitchen.  The seasonal sections feature exquisite food photography of different seasonal dishes.  The text combines commentary by chef Tokuoka and historical and cultural asides; from Rimpa style painting to court poetry that has inspired the menu. The last section is a look behind the scenes at Kitcho in the kitchen.  This section also includes a recipes for dashi and sauces, food notes to the seasonal dishes presented and a glossary of food terms.

The photographs in the book are outstanding.  Not only are there photos of the kaiseki dishes, but also elements of tea such as chabana, the tokonoma, teabowls, calligraphy, and sweets.  You will enjoy this book as inspiriation for your next chaji, and perhaps learn a little more about the history and culture of Japan.

Trust the process

We have been doing several chanoyu presentations lately.  When students make tea in front of an audience, I am usually talking and explaining what is going on in the presentation.  Unlike in class, where I am sitting right there, correcting, encouraging and reminding students about the procedures, they are  on their own to do the temae.   Students call this making tea without a net  

It is scary to be out there without sensei to remind you what to do next if you forget.  Sometimes you make very stupid mistakes, and strange things happen in temae.  I never criticize students when they are presenting tea.  Instead, I ask them what did they learn.

Some students can do the temae perfectly in class, but in presentation or chakai, they forget everything completely.  They have an out of body experience.  Sometimes this is due to stage fright, performance anxiety or nervousness.   Sometimes it is doing it for people they don't know  -- or even just for people that they do know.

This is where your training comes in.  Trust that you and your body know what to do.  And if you make a mistake, you will know how to recover.

One student asked me after the last presentation, "How do you trust?"   That is a hard thing to answer.  You cannot tell someone to JUST "trust the process"  when they have no idea how to do it.  After thinking a while about this,  I expect everyone will have different answers to this question.  

For me, trust is a leap of faith.  Like mountain climbing, you have to let go of where you are and make a leap to some other place.  This is scary and risky. We want and need assurances that we will be okay when we land, we need to know we won't lose what we have when we let go.  We need to have control so we can feel safe.

So how do you make that leap of faith that is  trust?  You have to focus on what is on the other side.  How much do you want the outcome that you will risk letting go of where you are?  There has to be some greater value to take the risk otherwise why do it?  The secret is maintaining deep belief that your initiative will be rewarded.

When I went to study tea in Japan for a year, I didn't know anyone, I didn't speak the language, and I didn't know if I could endure the discipline of it.  I had to give up a business, a relationship and a home.  But I certainly wanted to go to Japan to study the heart of tea.  I wanted it so much that I trusted that I would be okay and that whatever the outcome, the experience of living tea in Japan would be worth it.

Are you ready to trust?

I am back

I apologize for not posting the last couple of weeks.  It has been a crazy summer.  The intensive is complete, the craft show was a success, and now my son is a married man. What a beautiful wedding and fun reception.

In the meantime, here are a few events coming up this weekend:

Chanoyu Presentation at the Portland Japanese Garden

1 pm and 2 pm at Kashintei, the tea house

FREE with Garden admission

3rd Annual
C.H.A .  Art Show & Sale
Sat. & Sun., August 21 and 22, Noon to 6pm


This Show represents a collection of artisans who study Chado ~The Way of Tea
~a way of beauty
~a way of life.


Together, with a few Guest Artists, we offer our work in the spirit of peace & hospitality.
Ellen Ankenbrock ~ Richard Brandt
Patrick Gracewood ~Rebecca Owens
Duchess Patrick ~jan Waldmann ~ Margie Yap


Address: 8855 SW 36th Ave., Portland, Oregon, 97215
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
(The street view is old. The peach trees in the lawn are in Barstow for an extended vacation.)


***Look for the Giant Japanese Banner***


Directions: I-5 South, Exit Multnomah Blvd. Turn Left (South ) on 35th Ave.
Continue straight, do not fork to left.
This becomes SW Spring Garden Ct. which winds to the right and ends at Dolph Ct.
Turn left on Dolph Ct.
Turn right, almost immediately, onto 36th Ave.
8855 will be on your right. Park on street.


(Checks and Cash Only. Thx!)

Tea house in Seattle

July 28, 2010
Recycled bottles pop up again, and this time they're a teahouse
By LYNN PORTER
Journal Staff Reporter

Architect Christopher Ezzell will spend next week in Occidental Park in a teahouse he fashioned from recycled plastic bottles.

The structure, created with the help of the Seattle branch of the Urasenke Foundation and others, will be made of 800 two-liter plastic bottles. Half of the bottles were previously used for a temporary art installation titled “waste not” in Pioneer Square's Nord Alley.

The cut-up bottles will be tied together with fishing line to make walls. The walls will hang off an aluminum hoop structure supported by aluminum poles, almost like a shower curtain.

“But hopefully it's going to look nicer than a shower curtain,” Ezzell said. The roof will be of Mylar previously used as a sail. Despite the effort at sustainability, some of the materials won't be green. “We couldn't be 100 percent LEED-certified,” quipped Ezzell, who heads a Vashon Island design firm called e workshop.

The project is equal parts architecture and performance installation. The idea is to build a three-dimensional structure where visitors can experience the intimate tea ceremony in which host and guest celebrate together.

“The experiment here is ‘can we have this experience in a busy urban setting and enjoy the values of (it)?'” said Ezzell, who is a student of tea at Urasenke. Inside the teahouse will be a platform made of reused cedar and cardboard, a flower arrangement and poem card that speaks to being in the moment. Ezzell and foundation members will demonstrate the tea ceremony Aug. 2 through Aug. 7, although the structure will be up through Aug. 8.

The teahouse is part of artSparks 2010, a program of King County's 4Culture and the city. The installations and performances — from street theater to temporary sculpture to music — will run through October in Occidental Park. The series began June 3 with “Build Here” by Room for Assembly, an artist collective that experiments with architecture.

Ezzell, who has a bachelor's in architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design, practiced architecture in New York City for 15 years before moving to Seattle. In 2004 he founded e workshop. The firm's work includes residential projects, Long Provincial restaurant and sidewalk cafe in downtown Seattle, the butter London shop at Sea-Tac, and the plaza and pedestal for the Alki Statue of Liberty in collaboration with Cast Architecture.

Copyright 2010 Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce

Chado Presentations

There are two Chado presentations this week in Portland:

Friday May 14th, 12:30-1:30  Rock Creek PCC as part of the their Art Beat Week, I will be presenting Tea. The first 15 people to come will receive a sweet and a bowl of tea.  Free and open to the public.

Saturday, May 15th, The Portland Japanese Garden will sponsor a public tea demonstration at 1 and 2 pm at the Kashintei tea house.  This is a demonstration only.   Free with Garden admission.

Sakura Festival Saturday

Please join us at Uwajimaya in Beaverton for the Sakura festival. Issoan tea school will be demonstrating tea ceremony on stage in the parking lot (early in the morning). Right after that, Aikido Yoshokai will take the stage for a demonstration of Aikido. See you there.

When: Saturday, April 25th 9:00 am tea ceremony, 10:00 am Aikido
Where: Sakura Festival, Uwajimaya
10500 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy. Beaverton, OR 97005
Phone: (503)643-4512

Issoan Tea School will be presenting
Tea Ceremony Demonstrations

At the Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation
Japanese Market

Saturday, February 28th, 2009 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

West End Building, 4101 Kruse Way

Tea Ceremony Demonstrations at 10:30, 1:00 and 3:00. There will also

be other traditional entertainment, fascinating demonstrations and unique treasures.

SweetPersimmon will also have a booth with Portable Meditation Seats, Rice Heat Wraps, Handmade Purses and Handbags, Tea, Incense, and other unique items.

Directions: From I-5 and 217:

Exit I-5 #292 Kruse Way

Proceed East on Kruse Way to Kruse Way Place

4102 Kruse Way. Parking lot is on the left (West side) behind the building

Google Map

The Stubborn Twig

The Stubborn Twig, by Laruren Kessler is the story of the Yasui family making their way in America through the generations. This book is the official selection for Oregon Reads 2009, which is a community reads program that will take place in nearly every public library and in every county in Oregon during the state's sesquicentennial, January through April of 2009. As a result of this, there are many Japanese cultural events scheduled through the libraries, cultural and recreational centers to foster an understanding of the Japanese culture.

Issoan Tea School will be giving lectures and demonstrations as part of this cultural education.

• Cornelius Public library, Saturday Feb. 21 at 1:00 pm.
• Lake Oswego Parks and Rec. Japanese Market, Saturday Feb. 28th at
10:30, 1:00 and 3:00 pm
• Driftwood Public Library, Lincoln City, Sunday March 8, 3:00 pm

Please join us for a sweet and a bowl of tea.

Chanoyu Demo Sept. 16, 2008

Slideshow of Chanoyu demonstration at Peninsula Odd Fellows Aikido Dojo:



Thank you Annette for taking the photos. Participants: Sean and Connor Toyooka.

The rising moon

September is the month for moon viewing and this month in Portland we have had a spectacular full moon, perfect for moon viewing. This year I was fortunate to be part of the Portland Japanse Garden’s Tsukimi, or moon viewing. It was held over three nights, the night before the full moon, the full moon night and the night after the full moon. The event included haiku readings, koto concert, flute music and candle light throughout the garden. There were also light snacks, wine and sake. Demonstration of Chanoyu was also part of the experience.

It was a magical night for me. The weather was so fine and as the sun set, the garden took on a new character. We don’t have access to the garden very often at night. For something different, I set up the room to do gyakugatte to be closer to the audience. The tokonoma was lighted only and it gave such a soft glow to the room while the audience was in the darkness. However, the path from the pavilion to the tea house was lighted by many candles.

My student and I dressed in kimono and I had some special sweets as a gift from someone who had just flown in from Tokyo. We shared a bowl of tea and then I answered questions. People were so quiet and respectful, and the flute music playing in the garden added to the lovely atmosphere.

They had set up chairs and gallery in front of the pavilion facing the moon rise. The moon rose as a huge pink and yellow ball over the city. Everything was so perfect that I felt like we were in a movie.

I wish you all had been there to share in that experience.

Oolong tea tasting in Portland

Have you always wanted to know more about oolong tea? For those of you in
Portland, I'll be hosting an oolong tea tasting workshop through PCC next month.

Oolong is the most complex of all teas. In between black and green tea,
there are infinite varieties of oolong. Learn how to brew oolong tea and
appreciate the different tastes and aromas of 5 different premium teas
from Taiwan and China.

Everyone will receive an oolong sampler of the teas that we will be tasting
and a gaiwan, a traditional brewing vessel, to take home.

I hope you can join me. Sign up early as space is limited. Bring a friend,
pass this along.

Thursday June 26th from 6:30-9:30 pm
Downtown at the Whitmarsh Builiding, 803 SW Morrison St. 97205
Sign up through PCC Community Education
Course number 33047
www.pcc.edu/nc
503-977-8888

Inspiration from the Grand Tea Master’s visit

I just returned from Seattle where Dr. Genshitsu Sen, the retired Grand Tea Master of Urasenke School of tea visited last week. During the thee day visit, there were many chakai (tea gatherings), lectures, and receptions and meals shared with this remarkable man. He has made it his vision and life mission to spread peace through a bowl of tea.

Though many people have not heard of him, Dr. Sen has traveled the world and hosted many of the world leaders to tea. He is charismatic and inspirational. Just being part of the events in Seattle have instilled a new fire within me to be a better chajin and share the way of tea with people.

Even though I was dressed for 3 days in my very best formal kimono, I was part of the work crew behind the scenes to make it all run smoothly. We served more than 300 bowls of tea each day. From setting up equipment in the morning, to whisking tea, to washing tea bowls and cleaning up in the evening only to begin again the next morning, I felt part of something much larger. And I learned so much about how to work a large event such as this.

I was also able to assist with teaching a session of the University of Washington chado class with Tim Olsen sensei and Genko san. They have moved all classes to Shoseian, the tea house in the Japanese Garden. How lucky they are to study in a real tea house surrounded by a beautiful Japanese garden.

And Monday we begin our new introduction to Japanese Tea Ceremony class at Issoan.

Aren’t we the lucky ones, whose hearts were stolen away by tea?