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Tea training under the sturgeon moon
Students from Issoan Tea traveled to Vashon Island in the Puget Sound to spend a weekend intensive at the Tea House of the Winter moon. It was also the weekend of the sturgeon moon. The sturgeon is a prehistoric freshwater/saltwater fish that the indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest harvested during the full …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/tea-training-under-the-sturgeon-moon/
Portland International Tea Gathering October 15-20, 2025
You are invited to the Portland International Tea Gathering October 15-20, 2025.
We have an exciting line up for our program and are excited to host you in Portland. The Portland Japanese Garden will be our highlight with 3 seki and a guided tour of the garden. Please consider bringing a tea bowl for …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/portland-international-tea-gathering/
Tanabata at Issoan
Earlier this year after doing a month of chabako for the transition from Ro to furo season, I gave the students an assignment to assemble their own chabako and fill it with found utensils. It was a fun assignment and I also put together a chabako set.
I didn’t want to spend much money for …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/tanabata-at-issoan/
Shoburo in Seattle
The students at Issoan were invited to Shoburo at the East West Chanoyu Center in Seattle Washington. Bonnie Mitchell sensei is my sensei and I wanted my students to meet her. 5 students traveled from Portland to the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington where the East West Chanoyu Center has it Zuishin’an tea …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/shoburo-in-seattle/
Kagetsu!
Kagetsu is one of the ensemble tea exercises (games) where 5 people make and drink 4 bowls of tea. Cards or fuda are drawn from a pouch called an orisue to determine who makes tea and who drinks tea. Ka, or flower makes tea, and getsu or moon drinks tea. There are many rules of …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/kagetsu/