Introduction to the Way of Tea at the Palace of Culture in Algeria

Algeria marks my third visit to Africa in just ten months.

As on my previous visits, the staff from the Japanese Embassy were waiting for me at immigration. They kindly took me by the hand, so to speak, and guided me through the entry procedures.

This time, I was invited to Algeria as part of Japan Week commemorating the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Algeria.

Following the very positive response from those involved to the tea demonstration I gave at the commemorative ceremony held last July, two of us were invited back: myself and Bizen-yaki artist Mr. Hideaki Kimura.

I was entrusted with giving a 90-minute lecture and demonstration on Japanese tea, while Mr. Kimura was invited to exhibit his Bizen-yaki works at the Palace of Culture.

Many other professionals from different fields also took part, including portrait artists, calligraphers, and origami artists.

This was my third visit to Algeria and my third tea demonstration, but each occasion had a very different meaning.

The first was an opportunity to offer hospitality through tea to government dignitaries attending a dinner at the Ambassador’s residence.

The second was to offer tea as part of a ceremony hosted by the Government of Japan.

And this time, my guests were young Algerians who love Japan.

My experience at Japan Touch 2016 in Lyon last year proved particularly useful on this occasion.

I began by explaining not Japanese tea ceremony itself, but something even more fundamental: what tea actually is.

After all, many of the children sitting before me had never seen a Japanese tea ceremony in their lives.

They listened with remarkable concentration. Of all the events and encounters during this trip, I felt that the eyes of these young people expressed the greatest enthusiasm.

During the temae, I asked the audience not to talk, while simultaneously projecting close-up images of my movements onto a screen.

This allowed even those sitting far from the stage to understand what I was doing at each moment.

After the demonstration, the children gathered around the stage. I explained the tea utensils one by one and continued talking with them about tea and Japanese culture.

Some of the questions were wonderfully amusing.

They called Mr. Kimura and me “samurai” because of our hakama, and some pointed at our kimono and asked which anime characters we were supposed to be.

It occurred to me that perhaps some of them had not really understood the temae itself.

And that is perfectly understandable. If you have never seen something before, how could you be expected to understand it immediately?

It made me realize once again just how much more there is to do to introduce people to the Way of Tea.

There were so many children wanting to ask questions that, for the simpler ones, it seems even members of the Embassy and the security officer standing nearby were helping to answer them.

Then, when I agreed to take photographs with them, a long line suddenly formed, with everyone wanting their turn.

The fact that they patiently waited and respected the order of the line somehow made them seem wonderfully innocent and sincere.

Introducing something to people who know absolutely nothing about it is a serious responsibility.

But if no one takes the first step, nothing will ever change.

For these children, who already have such a strong affection for Japan, this was undoubtedly a precious opportunity to discover more about the country and its culture.

So far, I have visited Algeria three times and tried, each time, to find my own ways of making tea culture accessible to people here.

I have come to love this country myself, so if another opportunity arises, I would be delighted to return.

But setting that aside, I sincerely hope that many other tea practitioners will visit Algeria and share tea as a comprehensive expression of Japanese culture with the people of this country.

Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to H.E. Mr. Seiya Fujiwara, Ambassador of Japan to Algeria, and his wife, as well as to everyone at the Embassy of Japan in Algeria, for their warm welcome and generous support.