Shizu-Kokoro Chado School
Teaching Chado (The Way of Tea) known as the Japanese tea ceremony.
Licensed by the Urasenke School in Kyoto.
Chado “The Way of Tea”
～The mysterious Japanese traditional cultural experience ～
Chado is not just drinking matcha (powdered green tea):
Chado is a ceremony requiring years of practice and discipline to master.
The ultimate goal of Chado is to achieve enlightenment through discipline of the mind. Through the practice of Chado, one can cultivate self-esteem, focus, discipline and a sense of inner peace.
Concept of Chado is based on Zen:
Drinking Macha in a ritual ceremony started as part of a daily discipline by Zen monks. Preparation and drinking of tea should be an expression of the Zen belief that every act of daily life is a potential act that can lead to enlightenment.
Art of time:
The host invites guest(s) to his or her tea gathering called “Chaji” or “Cha-kai”. It cannot truly be described without experiencing it. Basically, Chado is the ceremony to explore, discover and appreciate “time” - time being in nature, time to share precious moment with others, time to evoke the beauty of the seasons, time to appreciate crafts made from a craftsman’s soul, time to respect teachings carried on by Zen monks for hundreds of years, time to appreciate flowers that give us happy moments, time to be surprised by a delicious yet simple meal made from seasonal ingredients.
Senses and sensibility:
Chado is a ceremony required to use five senses and sensibility. The host arranges everything for the day’s gathering and entertains the guests. The host chooses each implement by theme and season by her or his taste and sensibilities. In the meantime, guests appreciate not only these implements but the hospitality provided by the host. Chado is the area where people seek to heighten awareness of man's oneness with nature and strip away unnecessary things such as class and pride, and appreciate the little things we tend to take for granted.
Soka Mika Haneishi
Instructor
Ms. Mika Haneishi, tea name, “Soka,” has twenty-five years of “Chado” experience, studying “The Way of Tea” under Ms. Sosei Matsumoto who was named a National Heritage Fellow in the United States and received the Order of the Sacred Treasure "Zuihō-shō" by the Emperor. Ms. Haneishi became a 1st-degree instructor of the Urasenke School of Chado in 2013, the biggest tea ceremony school in the world. She teaches beginner to advanced classes in three locations in Tokyo and Chiba, Japan. She also established “The Way of Tea Project” in order to introduce this unique culture to foreigners and organizes Chado workshops and seminars for international audiences.
