Upcoming Events

Globus Chashitsu

For centuries in Japan, Otsukimi — literally moon viewing — has been a cherished autumn tradition. People honor the harvest and give thanks for the abundance of the season by setting out offerings to the moon. Among them are tsukimi dango: small round rice dumplings whose shape calls up the full moon, and which carry wishes for happiness and prosperity.

In the United States, the full moon closest to the autumn equinox is known as the Harvest Moon. This year our Otsukimi gathering falls on the day of the full moon itself, bringing the Japanese and American traditions of the season together.

Guests are served a seasonal kaiseki meal — the multi-course meal that opens a formal gathering — made with freshly harvested grains and other autumn ingredients, followed by matcha in a formal tea setting. Both seatings are held by the light of traditional Japanese candles.

For one day, step out of the pace of ordinary life and into the slower rhythm of the seasons. Let us mark the harvest, the passing of the year, and the quiet beauty of the full moon together.

• What you will experience+
  • Afternoon seating — a serene, candlelit gathering
  • Evening seating — with time to watch the full moon, weather permitting
  • A seasonal kaiseki meal of freshly harvested grains and autumn ingredients
  • An individual bowl of matcha for every guest
• The day+
  1. 1

     Seasonal kaiseki meal

     • The meal, and an explanation of the part it plays in a formal gathering
  2. 2

     Tea ceremony

     • A formal tea ceremony, performed
     • Guidance on how to receive and drink matcha
     • An individual bowl of matcha for each guest
  3. 3

     Conversation and questions

     • The history of the Japanese tea ceremony
     • Samurai culture and the Way of Tea
     • The spiritual philosophy behind the practice
     • The utensils used during the gathering
     • Your questions, answered

Photographs shown are from previous tea ceremonies and do not represent the exact menu or presentation of this event.

A private venue in downtown Manhattan

The address is sent to you once your place is confirmed.

The first gathering in a new series with VERDEA, a New York matcha house, on how Japan has found meaning in nature, time, and the ordinary day through the lens of tea. We begin with Tsukimi — moon viewing — and how the moon, the autumn, and our standing with the seasons have been spoken of through chanoyu.

When was the last time you simply looked at the moon? In the rush of an ordinary week, time is something we try to manage, save, or fill. Yet the moon changes a little each night, the air shifts, and a season arrives without being announced.

In the choice of a flower and a bowl, in the making of the tea, and in the attention paid to the person in front of you, chanoyu is a way of noticing exactly that — the season, the moment, and the changes that would otherwise pass unseen.

Eriko Nishimoto of VERDEA then introduces Japanese matcha and pours a tasting from Shizuoka, another way of meeting the character of the tea. We close with conversation and questions, and whatever the hour has turned up.

• What you will experience+
  • Learn — moon viewing and chanoyu, with Yoshitsugu Nagano
  • Taste — a guided tasting of Shizuoka matcha, with VERDEA
  • Reflect — conversation and questions

No previous knowledge of chanoyu, matcha, or Japanese culture is needed, and the gathering is held in English. Places are limited and registration is in advance.

Charles B. Wang Center, East Hall

A hands-on introduction to Japanese tea at the Charles B. Wang Center, Stony Brook University. Through a guided demonstration and your own practice, you will learn the essential techniques for preparing and appreciating matcha, and meet the principles at the heart of chanoyu: harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility.

Each session is ninety minutes and stands on its own; choose the morning or the afternoon. Whether Japanese tea is new to you or you are looking to understand it more deeply, the session offers a calm and thoughtful hour and a half with the bowl in your hands.

Tickets are sold by the Charles B. Wang Center. Admission is $20, or $15 for students and seniors 65 and over, and includes all materials. Each session is limited to thirty people, and advance reservation is required.

• What you will experience+
  • A guided demonstration by Yoshitsugu Nagano
  • Hands-on practice: whisking and tasting your own bowl of matcha
  • The four principles of tea — harmony, respect, purity, tranquility
  • All utensils and tea provided

No experience is needed, and everything you need is provided. Reservations are taken by the Charles B. Wang Center; the button above takes you to their ticket page.