The Way of Tea Gatherings and Tastings - May 7thNEW

Japanese tearoom, Japanese Galleries

1:00 pm and 2:30 pm seatings

Watch and learn about the Japanese "Way of Tea" as you are served you own tea sweet and bowl of whisked green tea. Utilizing the museum's traditional tearoom, Bay Area tea people host these tea gatherings, which feature seasonal themes.

Costs
$10 members, $22 general (includes museum admission) Purchase tickets online.

Schedule
Saturday, March 19, Hosted by Dai Nippon Chado Gakkai (Shozo Sato)
Saturday, May 7, Hosted by Urasenke Foundation
Saturday, July 16, Hosted by Mushanokojisenke
Saturday, Sep 10, Hosted by Omotosenke Domonkai
Saturday, Nov 19, Hosted by Urasenke San Francisco Association

Background
The Japan Galleries of the new Asian Art Museum have space devoted to two major art forms: the tearoom and the bamboo basket. This space includes a fully functioning example of a traditional tearoom custom built for the new museum. The tearoom and related items allow the museum to offer educational programs focusing on the time-honored Japanese tea ceremony. An introduction to chanoyu-the Japanese way of tea-is held bi-monthly in the tearoom.

Tearoom Architect
Architect Osamu Sato designed the Asian Art Museum's tearoom. Mr. Sato, who has worked in the United States with the firm of Pei, Cobb, Freed, designed a similar tearoom for I.M. Pei's Miho Museum in Shigaraki, near Kyoto, Japan, which opened four years ago.

Tearoom Construction
The tearoom was constructed in Kyoto by the distinguished firm, Nakamura Sotoji, long famous for refined traditional Japanese architecture built by specially trained carpenters and artisans. The components of the tearoom were precut by Nakamura Yoshiaki, a highly skilled carpenter in Japan. The tearoom was deconstructed and shipped to San Francisco where four carpenters from Kyoto reconstructed it in the museum under the supervision of Mr. Sato.

Tearoom Design
The Asian Art Museum's tearoom was designed as a functioning tearoom, as well as a display case. It is a size called sanjo-daime or three and three-quarters mats, which will accommodate a tea host and three to four guests. It is complete with a tokonoma, or special alcove for the display of hanging scrolls, flowers or objects, an electric-powered well for a hot water kettle, and a functioning mizuya, or kitchen, for the preparation of the tea ceremony. The tearoom incorporates a variety of woods, bamboo, and reeds. Its three interior ceiling levels display three different ceiling treatments. The tearoom has a sliding glass front that secures the space as a display case, but can open fully when in use for live tea demonstrations.