Diving into Japanese Culture: Tea Ceremony with a Cup of Matcha

My days in Sakado went on as usual, starting with morning homeroom activities. But, that day Ryo-sensei handed me an invitation to a tea party, like a traditional Japanese cultural experience featuring an authentic matcha tea ceremony. Then I asked the other SEA-Teacher participants if they had received the invitation, but they hadn't get the invitation. I double-checked with Bagot-sensei, and she confirmed that the invitation was indeed meant for all the SEA-Teacher participants.

Tea Ceremony Invitation Card

The day finally came. We went to the room where the tea party was being held. Inside, we saw beautiful calligraphy and a table specifically set up for the ceremony. A student from Tsukusaka then demonstrated how to prepare matcha tea according to traditional Japanese culture, which was absolutely fascinating to watch. Afterward, we were invited to sit at the designated tables. Each of us was given a tea bowl and a traditional bamboo whisk. We were then served a small spoonful of matcha powder and taught the proper technique to whisk it. Once we finished whisking our matcha, we were served some traditional sweet snacks, including one that looked like a candy and another shaped like sweet bunny ears.

Matcha Tea and Some Snacks

After the tea party concluded, Ryo-sensei briefly explained that he also teaches Japanese Culture, so the tea ceremony is one of the traditions he passes down to the students here. Experiencing this tea party firsthand was such a unique and unforgettable moment for me. Usually, I only get to see things like this through social media, but this time, I was actually feel it in Japan!

Japanese Tea Ceremony Room

Documentation with Tea Ceremony Participants

Documentation with Tea Ceremony Participants