Tea Gathering at Hamarikyu Gardens 2024

I held a tea gathering at Hamarikyu Gardens for the students I teach at Tokyo Tower.

Everything—from the planning and management of the event to the selection of tea utensils and the hosts of each tea gathering—was decided entirely by the students themselves.

The host for each gathering was determined by drawing lots. I decided to participate as a guest for one of the sessions, only to find myself drawing the lot for the final gathering—and narrowly avoiding having to perform the temae myself!

We also encountered one major case of something being forgotten at the venue. We improvised on the spot and created a makeshift tea utensil by finding another object to serve its purpose.

I have had to improvise like this many times while holding tea gatherings overseas. In fact, sometimes these unexpected situations are what make an event particularly memorable.