🌱 Sorate Storytelling Series Vol.5

Stories that Connect Tea and People — Sorate Storytelling Series
Narration: Keiko Kitazawa (Sorate Advisor / Omotesenke Style Professor)

About Keiko Kitazawa:

She has over 25 years of experience in Chanoyu and has been teaching as a certified Omotesenke-style tea ceremony instructor in New York and New Jersey for more than 15 years, guiding over 100 students, including school programs. She conducts weekly lessons at the private salon, 229 East 49^th Street in NYC and at her private tea room in Closter, NJ, and regularly hosts tea gatherings both in the U.S. and Japan. A founding member of the Omotesenke Domonkai Eastern Region (2008) and its Secretary General since 2019, she graduated from Osaka University of Arts (Design) and the Fashion Institute of Technology (Fine Arts). Keiko views Chanoyu not only as a practice of procedures and customs but as a way of living an aesthetically and spiritually rich life. 

Tea-ceremony Experience — Bringing the Spirit of Chaji to Sorate

A formal tea gathering is called chaji—
a four-hour rite accompanied by kaiseki cuisine,
where host and guests attune hearts and share time through seasonally composed utensils.

Because chaji is usually private among close relations, few can experience it.
So at Sorate, we adapt the spirit of chaji into an accessible Tea-ceremony Experience (about 90 minutes):
learn the history and differences between sencha and matcha,
enjoy tastings with elements of kaiseki, and practice with the host.

Traditional chaji involves formal invitations and dress.
Here, you can enjoy a refined micro version.

Flow: a green-tea welcome drink;
three kinds of matcha, brewed in multiple rounds with time and care;
then tenshin—a light bento-style meal inspired by kaiseki;
finally, a bowl of matcha prepared with formal temae by me.

A highlight is the conversation between Silvia—
about Japanese culture, why the tea ceremony matters today,
and even “secret tips” for visiting Japan.

It’s not sightseeing, but a gentle way to savor the essence of chaji—
color through the seasons and time where hearts draw close.

✨ Reservations *Need to ask link
Sorate’s Tea-ceremony Experience is by reservation.
Check dates and details here: Book here
Inquiries: contact@sorate.co