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.