The Art and Essence of Japanese Tea
The Art and Essence of Japanese Tea

Phi Alpha Theta (the History Honor Society) and Clionaes (the History Club) invite you join us for an authentic tea ceremony in the GCU teahouse, one of very few surviving Meiji Dynasty teahouses. The tea ceremony will be performed by Teamaster Fumiko Nakao and her students, dressed in traditional kimonos woven with gold and platinum threads.

A Japanese tea ceremony is both an art form and a ritual. Learning how to make the tea is not that difficult. But understanding the true meaning of the ceremony and the correct usage of tea tools is difficult. One must be able to appreciate the four basic elements of the tea ceremony: harmony, respect, purity, and loneliness.

Drinking tea is also a form of spiritual release. When the tea guests sit on the tatami drinking tea and admire the calligraphy as well as the rustic bowls in which Japanese tea is served, they feel that they are leaving the hustle and bustle of city life and drifting into utopia. This is a state of wabi, a calm and content mood underlined by simplicity and grace. Space is limited; reserve early!

Location: Tea House, Japanese Garden
Georgian Court University, New Jersey
(in case of rain, venue move to GCU Chapel)

Dates: December 28
10:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 4:00 PM
(You must select a time when ordering tickets)

Cost: $5 per person, FREE to GCU Community with ID; reservations required.

Letter of appreciation from the Red Hat Society (click to enlarge)