Most commented posts

  1. Heart to heart connection — 8 comments
  2. April update, a Midorikai interlude — 6 comments
  3. Making a good bowl of koicha — 6 comments
  4. It is harder than it looks — 6 comments
  5. Seeing things as they are — 6 comments

Author's posts

Upcoming Workshops

Check our News and Events page for upcoming workshiops, lectures and field trips.

Thursday, October 4, 2012 – 6:00pm: Japan and the Culture of the Four Seasons – Nature, Literature, and the Arts,

Saturday October 6th, 10 am to 2 pm Kimono alterations class

Saturday October 13, 10 am – 2 pm Field trip to …

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Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/upcoming-workshops/

O-Tsukimi, Moonviewing Festival at the Portland Japanese Garden

The Autumn Moonviewing Festival, O-Tsukimi, will be held at the Portland Japanese Garden September 28, 29, 30th from 6- 8:30 pm.

On a quiet autumn evening more than 200 years ago, a retired imperial prince sat patiently on the polished bamboo floor of the veranda waiting for the moon’s reflection to shimmer across the pond …

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Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/o-tsukimi-moonviewing-festival-at-the-portland-japanese-garden/

Kobukusa Magic

We had a kobukusa making workshop a couple of weeks ago, and I promised that I’d post pictures from the workshop.  We had 4 participants, and Kate was our teacher.  She supplied silk fabric, silk thread, needles, patterns, instructions and sewing advice and help.

 

Everyone who had brought their sewing kits, …

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Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/kobukusa-magic/

Working together

I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge one of my huge supporters, Barbara Walker.  Barbara and I have shared our love for the way of tea  for more than 30 years. She and I studied with Minako sensei for 20 years, before she passed away. We help each other with Chado presentations, classes and …

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Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/working-together/

The ash is important to the charcoal

This summer we have been fortunate to be able to burn charcoal and do sumidemae.  We can’t make tea if the charcoal doesn’t boil the water.  For some reason, the water boiled with charcoal tastes better, sounds better and the steam is more consistently fluffy and pretty.

Of course, it all begins with the haigata …

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Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/the-ash-is-important-to-the-charcoal/