This year we celebrated the Lunar New Year instead of Hatsugama. Portland had such a bad winter storm that we had to cancel Hatsugama. Our gathering took place at the newly opened Cedar Tree Hotel. The lobby is beautifully understated with a koi pond in the middle! Stephanie and I named the three koi …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/lunar-new-year-for-issoan/
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/
This year Issoan celebrated Hatsugama in a hybrid as still some people cannot come to the tea room, and some people attended from out of town.
The first seki I laid sumi and served tenshin meal.
Then a break and our zoom guests joined us for sweets and tea. Thank you all …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/hatsugama-2023/
Tsukimi Chakai, moon viewing at Issoan,
The night was clear after a weekend of rain for the moon viewing at Issoan. The chakai was virtual and 15 guests attended.
Guests were escorted through the Nijiriguchi to view the tokonoma. The scroll reads, “Mizu wo kikusureba tsuki te ni ari,” or Scoop water and …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/tsukimi-chakai-at-issoan/
It is not often that I get to be a guest at a Chakai. So when I was invited by my friend Christopher Ezzell to a Chakai, I was thrilled and delighted. Christopher lives on Vashon Island in the Puget Sound, about a three hour drive from my house. Since I had not been …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/chakai-at-the-tea-house-of-the-winter-moon/
