2020.08.05 Wed

On July 20, the International Centre provided a hands-on tea ceremony lesson online to international and Japanese students studying at Gakushuin University. It was organized to substitute for the regular Kabuki viewing event that was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 17 foreign and Japanese volunteer students participated in the lesson remotely from their homes. From the Japanese-style tea room on campus, one of the staff members of the International Centre explained to them how to prepare a cup of tea and to behave as a guest for a tea ceremony. The participating students learned the tea ceremony etiquette and understand an aspect of traditional Japanese culture.

After the event, many of the participants commented that it was unfortunate that they could not enjoy the tea ceremony in the Japanese-style room and it would have been more fun if they could have had the lesson face-to-face. Even so, they found the art of the tea ceremony very fascinating and appreciated the opportunity to experience even a small part of it.