It is exciting to have new students develop a passion for tea. I have some new students who are so enthusiastic that they have been coming twice a week to keiko. One of them has a site, Storied Objects, that features artisan handcrafted ware with an aesthetic that appeals to many tea folk. She is …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/storied-objects/
A couple of weekends ago, Mr. SweetPersimmon and I attended a festival not far from Portland, Oregon put on the the Kominka Collective. This non-profit organization’s mission is “to save old Japanese folk houses while preserving and passing on traditional carpentry methods.”
The word kominka refers to houses built at least …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/preserving-japanese-traditional-culture/
Yesterday, Issoan celebrated the opening of the winter hearth. The day was cold, rainy and windy. A great day for a cozy tea gathering. Guests arrived from across town, from Seattle area, and half a world away via zoom for two seki. It was especially exciting for three new students, who had never attended a …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/robiraki-2023/
After a long hiatus for Covid, I opened the tearoom last spring. I did not teach any beginner classes for 2 and a half years while the tearoom was closed. There were about 20 people on the waiting list and when I opened the new introduction to Chado class, it filled quickly. Then I …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/shoshin-the-beginners-heart/
Here in the Pacific NW we are usually blessed with beautiful clear days and pleasant temperatures for Autumn. The new school year starts, and football season begins. But for me, moon viewing signals the beginning of the Autumn. This year the September moon came late in the month, but we had hot weather into the …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/autumn-has-arrived/
