 Time : Sunday - June 7th, 2009
Venue :
An Elegant Historic House of Kanda in Kanda Myojin (Kanda Shrine)
"KANDA-no-IE" has a history of more than 80 years and has just been rebuilt.
The Institute for Japanese Cultural Exchange and Experience (IJCEE) organized a formal Japanese Tea Ceremony and Koto & Shamisen (traditional string instrument) recital in this delicate architecture. Guided by a well-recognized master who is also a certified English teacher, we appreciated the art of Japanese Tea in traditional Yukata or Kimono clothings, while cleansed our minds in tranquilizing rhythms.
Thank you so much for those of you who joined us !!
Check out the photos for the time being and stayed tuned for the next tour!
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 12:45 pm ~ Gather at Ochanomizu Station & Go to Kanda Myojin Shrine ~
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Ochanomizu Station, surrounded by greenry & the Kanda River |
The solemn Kanda Myojin Shrine, a magnificent building |
Historical Kanda-no-Ie & its fine Japanese garden |
Ocha-no-mizu literally means "tea water", named after the nearby Kanda River where water was taken from, in order to make the Shogun's (ruling general) tea during the Edo period. After we met at the station, we went to the the Shinto shrine, Kanda Myojin. "Kanda-no-Ie" is designated as an Important Cultural Asset by the Chiyoda Ward. Keeping a humble heart within us, we went inside to learn more about the traditional Japanese culture. |
1:15 pm ~ Kanda Myojin Shrine Guided Tour~
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Pray for happiness, fortune and good health |
Point out the sights & explaining the meaning behind |
Yukata dresser &
guide, Minami-san,
Thank you very much! |
The Kanda Myojin Shrine was established more than 1,200 years ago and is most famous for the visit by the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1600 A.D. Although it has been rebuilt several times because of fire and earthquakes, it is regarded as one of the most important shrine in all of Tokyo. Guided by Minami-san, we learnt alot about its background story and significance to the local people. |
1:45 pm ~ Koto & Shamisen (Traditional String Instrument) Recital ~
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Shamisen recital |
Appreciate the beautiful sound of Koto |
Koto & Shamisen player |
We were all fascinated by the sound of Japanese traditional string instruments, Koto & Shamisen! |
2:30 pm ~ Formal Japanese Tea Ceremony ~
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Learning how the tea is served |
Enjoy the rich and fresh taste of Japanese tea |
Say "Kekkodesu (Great)"
with your smile! |
In a Tea Ceremony, the host mixes the powdered green tea in hot water and serve the guests.
Today's tea master, Ms. Yamaguchi said, "Just enjoy this moment together. Don't worry about the rules of tea ceremony. Always Guests always come first, and I will follow you."
She taught us the essence of Japanese culture
in English and we all felt enlighten.
Special thanks to
Japanese Cultural Exchange and Experience (IJCEE)
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Thank you all for joining and making the event a huge success!!
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Share the Sakura Event
Sakura House would like to share our happy moments with people from all over the world. Because of limited space here we have put the rest of the photos on flickr. Check them out!
 More photos @ flickr
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