On the afternoon of Saturday, August 9, we welcomed a family of six for a tea gathering.
This event came about through a request from the botanical garden, which had received a donation from the grandmother of the family, asking, “For her granddaughter, who is interested in the Japanese language and Japanese culture, could you give her the experience of a tea gathering?”
To help our guests feel a touch of coolness in the height of summer, the lid of the fresh water container was made from a lotus leaf from my own garden.
For the main tea bowl, I used a flat chawan and served the tea with the arai-jakin procedure, in which the tea cloth is soaked in water.
Before entering the tea room, guests enjoyed sakura tea—salt-pickled cherry blossoms floating in hot water—for a little salt replenishment (smiles).
After a brief introduction to the tea ceremony, everyone entered my tea room, Junshin-an.
The sweet for the first serving was a handmade nerikiri called “Morning Glory.”
For the second serving, I offered higashi (dry sweets)—wasanbon sugar confections and karintō.
The principal guest was the second daughter, Nora, who is studying Japanese and has an interest in Japanese culture, accompanied by her younger sister, older sister, younger brother, and their mother and father.
A gentle, unhurried time flowed with this wonderful family of six.
