Yoshitsugu Nagano
Japaneese Tea Ritual Master
Professor of the Ueda Soko school
Founder & General Director of Chanoyu Week NYC
2018 License of Bondatedaitenmoku, the highest rank in the Ueda Sōko Tradition of Warrior Tea school
Certificate of Professor for Japanese Tea Ceremony at Ueda Sōko Tradition of Warrior Tea school
2012 BFA in Faculty of Art, Hiroshima City University Hiroshima, Japan
1988 Born in Ehime, Japan
A decade ago in Hiroshima, Nagano began immersing himself into Ueda Soko-ryu; a traditional samurai tea ceremony that has been practiced in Japan for over 400 years. While his university studies focused on Western art, philosophy, and aesthetics, Nagano realized that he lacked knowledge about his own country's rich and ancient culture. It was at that time that ancient Japanese tea ceremony was introduced to him, filling that void for cultural discovery that Nagano was seeking. He began studying the ancient ceremony, and was immediately captivated by the world of tea. In a tranquil space adorned with Zen teachings on life and a beautiful single flower arrangement, he was moved by the sound of boiling water, the faint light streaming through a small window, and the steam rising from the kettle. He came to understand that tea ceremony was not just about drinking delicious tea, but also about celebrating nature and appreciating the often-overlooked beauty in everyday life. Furthermore, Nagano experienced a deep connection with others through the act of quietly drinking matcha together that words failed to describe. This was a feeling that he had never experienced through contemporary art, and it was a moment in which a new appreciation for beauty took root in his life. Since then, he continued to pursue the Way of Tea, and in 2018 became the youngest person to obtain the highest rank in Ueda Soko-ryu and was awarded the title of Professor. This prompted Nagano to make the decision to become an independent tea practitioner and to share the Way of Tea with the world. In 2019, he moved to New York alone with this goal in mind. Since arriving in the US, he has conducted more than 150 tea ceremonies and given over 400 lectures. Although he began his activities in the midst of the pandemic, as a tea practitioner in New York, he was the only one who continued through it. As a result, people who tired of the seemingly endless pandemic began to gather in search of the Way of Tea, and slowly but surely, the circle grew larger. In 2022, he began organizing and serving as the representative for Chanoyu Week NYC. This week-long event aims to introduce the Way of Tea to the people of New York. Through his experiences during the pandemic, Nagano realized that although society faced an unprecedented crisis and people should have united to overcome it, in reality, the situation turned out to be the complete opposite. The diverse communities of New York clashed and were divided. He believed that the spirit of "coexistence," the most important concept of tea ceremony, which brings people together as one through the act of sharing a cup of tea, could help bring New York together once again. Chanoyu Week NYC will continue to be held annually in November.
Tea Ritual and Lecture
2023 Tea Ritual for BVLGARI (BVLGARI, NYC) ≫
Tea Ritual Expenses for Leaders High School (Globus Washitsu, NYC/ Hosted by NY de Volunteer)
Private Tea Ritual (AMAN Hotel, NYC/ Hosted by Omacasa) ≫
STILLNESS: THE RITUAL OF MATCHA AND WATER (OMPT, NYC) ≫
SAKURA An Earth Day Celebration (Goldish, NYC/ Hosted by Ninja Ballet)
SAKURA MATSURI Cherry Blossom Festival (CHARLES B. WANG CENTER, NY) ≫
Japan Tourism Update and the Art of Japanese Tea Ceremony (ZUMA, NYC / Hosted by JNTO) ≫
Risshun Tea Ceremony (Ippodo Gallery, NYC) ≫
Hatsugama Tea Ritual (Globus Washitsu, NYC)
2022 Tea ceremony demonstration with iichiko (Dr Clark, NYC)
Tea ceremony demonstration (Wanted Design Schools Workshop 2022, NYC)
Tea ceremony with David Zwirner Books (Globus Washitsu, NYC)
Tea-Leaf Storage Jar and Tea Filling Ceremony 2022 (Ippodo gallery, NYC)
Kinka Chabana workshop (KinKa, NYC)
Lecture” How Chanoyu captivated Japanese business leaders” (The Nippon Club, NYC)
Lecture "How to Enjoy Chanoyu in the Office" (SuMi Trust New York office)
Tea ceremony ”Basic Knowledge of tea ceremony utensils”(Onishi Gallery, NYC)
Tea ceremony “Snow Peak x Kozaburo Collection Launch” (Snow Peak Brooklyn)
Lecture: The Making of a Japanese Tea House in New York (Fu Qiumeng Fine Art)
Samurai Cocktail(Martiny’s, NYC)
Special Screening of the Film “Rikyu”(Japan Society, NYC)
2021 Tea Ceremony "Spring Breeze"(J-CLLABO, NYC)
Tea ceremony demonstration (Brooklyn Botanic Garden, NYC)
Japanese Samurai Tea Ceremony "The Ritual of Kuchikiri 2021 (Globus Washitsu, NYC)
Tea Ceremony (Fu Qiumeng Fine Art Gallery, NYC)
Online Lecture- GATEWAY: SAMURAI TEA CEREMONY (NY Budo Association, NYC)
Online Dialogue- Sonoligo Cross-genre Talk (Sonoligo Inc., Japan)
2020 Online Lecture- Nihongo Chat + J-Culture (Japan Society, NYC)
Online Lecture- Spreading Chanoyu to the World (JCbase, Tokyo, Japan)
Samurai Tea Ceremony "The Ritual of Kuchikiri 2020 (Globus Washitsu, NYC)
75th anniversary of the atomic bombing Memorial Tea Ceremony (Syukeien, Hiroshima, Japan)
2019 The Exhibition -MATERIAL WITNESS (Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, NYC)
JFOODO Japanese Green Tea demonstration (Japan Society, NYC)
Samurai Tea Ceremony -The Ritual of Kuchikiri 2019 (Globus Washitsu, NYC)
The New York Coffee Festival, demonstration (Metropolitan Pavilion, NYC)
2018 Wafudo Hatsugama 2018 (Wafudo, Japan)
Tea Ceremony of Soko-ki at Sangenin in Daitoku-ji temple 2018 (Sangenin in Daitoku-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan)
2017 White scape – Winter Tea Ceremony in Hatsukaichi (Art Gallery Miyauchi, Hiroshima, Japan)
Terunobu Fujimori: Architecture with Nature, and “ROJO” (Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art in Hiroshima, Japan)
2016 Fromage and Tea (French Cheese Board, NYC)
2015 Commemorative project for the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
(Tea ceremony at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Japan)
Media
2023 Yahoo! JAPAN "Japanese tea was enjoyed in American businesses and educational settings!"
Long Island Press "Stony Brook’s Charles B. Wang Center Celebrates Annual Cherry Blossom Festival"
Weekly NY Seikatsu "NY de Volunteer, Japanese culture at a local school"
NY Japion "Bringing Mindful Japanese Tea Ceremony to the World, a Necessity for Modern People"