Stories that Connect Tea and People ā Sorate Storytelling Series
Narration: Keiko Kitazawa (Sorate Advisor / Omotesenke Style Professor)
About Keiko Kitazawa:
SheĀ has over 25 years of experience inĀ ChanoyuĀ 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,Ā 229 East 49thĀ Street in NYCĀ 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 theĀ Omotesenke Domonkai Eastern RegionĀ (2008) and its Secretary General since 2019, she graduated fromĀ Osaka University of Arts (Design)Ā and theĀ Fashion Institute of Technology (Fine Arts). Keiko viewsĀ ChanoyuĀ not only as a practice of procedures and customs but as a way of living an aesthetically and spiritually rich life.Ā
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Experience the Monthly Gathering at Daitoku-ji Templeā Matcha and Zen
I hosted a tea seating atĀ ZuihÅ-in, one of the sub-temples.
This monthly event is highly valued by tea enthusiasts, drawing 200ā300 participants.
Not everyone can host a tea ceremony in the Daitokuji; itās usually for distinguished masters.
For a practitioner like me, without patronage to be given such honor is purely the grace of human connections.
My first opportunity was in 2017āa guiding landmark ever since.
In 2023 I hosted again, and the tea record (chakaiki) noted:
āKÅ«sui ā SORATE NY-packed.ā
It was the first unveiling in Japan of Sorateās matcha āKÅ«sui.ā
A New York brand served formally at Daitoku-ji and entered into recordā
an unforgettable milestone for both Silvia and me.
That summer was intensely hot; we were drenched in sweat,
yet a hush of quiet dignity filled the spaceā
born of refined deportment honed by practice,
thoughtful combinations of utensils, and sweets matching the theme.
Traditional tea peopleāwhile treasuring orthodoxyāalso delight in the new.
They showed keen interest in Sorateās Kyoto-grown, NY-packed matcha,
and I sensed a pride that Japanese matcha thrives in a great metropolis like New York.
With āKÅ«suiā formally used at Daitoku-ji,
tea connected Japan and New Yorkā
a priceless origin in Sorateās journey.
I will hold the tea ceremony at Zuiho-in, located at Daitoku-ji Temple, again on January 28, 2027.
