For over four centuries, Urasenke has preserved the living tradition of Chadō — the Way of Tea. Step into a practice where every gesture carries the weight of centuries, and a single bowl of matcha contains the universe.
Chadō, the Way of Tea, is not merely the preparation of a beverage. It is a comprehensive art form that synthesizes the skills of architecture, garden design, ceramics, calligraphy, flower arrangement, culinary arts, and hospitality into a single, seamless act of generosity.
Rooted in Zen Buddhism and refined during the Momoyama period by Sen no Rikyū, the tea ceremony embodies four guiding principles: Wa (harmony), Kei (respect), Sei (purity), and Jaku (tranquility). Each gathering is understood as a unique moment that can never be reproduced — the concept known as ichigo ichie, "one time, one meeting."
"Though you and I may meet again and again, this very moment, with this particular arrangement of people and things, will never come a second time. Therefore, let us treat one another with the utmost sincerity."— Ii Naosuke, nineteenth century
The practice of tea is not bound by time. A single temae — the structured procedure of preparing and serving tea — may take as little as thirty minutes or unfold over four hours, but its spirit extends far beyond the walls of the tea room. "Cha Zen Ichimi," tea and Zen are one flavor. The insights cultivated at the hearth carry into every moment of daily life: the way one receives a guest, the care with which one repairs a broken cup, the attention one brings to an ordinary morning.
In chadō, the deepest learning happens through the body, not through explanation. One watches, one imitates, one repeats — and over years, the movements become a language that expresses what words cannot. This is the path we invite you to walk.
Alignment between host and guest, between human action and the natural world. All distinctions dissolve into shared presence.
Sincere regard for all beings and things. The care with which each utensil is handled reflects reverence for craftsperson and material.
Purity of heart and intention, not merely cleanliness. The roji garden path symbolizes shedding worldly concerns before entering.
The stillness that arises when harmony, respect, and purity are present. Not absence of movement, but depth of presence.
The temae — the procedure of preparing tea — is a sequence of movements so refined that each gesture has been practiced and transmitted across four hundred years. Nothing is arbitrary. Nothing is wasted.
The host carefully cleans each utensil with the chakin — a white linen cloth — in a precise, meditative sequence. This act of purification is both practical and symbolic: it demonstrates the host's sincere desire to serve the guest with a pure heart.
Two scoops of finely sifted matcha are placed in the chawan. Hot water is drawn from the kama (kettle) with the hishaku (ladle), poured over the tea, and whisked with the chasen (bamboo whisk) in a precise back-and-forth motion until a fine, even froth forms.
The guest bows, receives the bowl with both hands, places it before them, and bows again. The bowl is turned twice so the front — its most beautiful face — is oriented away from the guest's lips, a gesture of humility. Only then does the guest drink.
The empty bowl is studied with genuine appreciation — its clay body, the maker's hand, the seasonal motif painted under the glaze. The utensils are then quietly returned, and a moment of shared silence acknowledges what has passed between host and guest.
Begin your journey with the elemental temae of usucha — thin tea. Over twelve weeks, you will learn the foundational movements, the care and handling of utensils, and the philosophical underpinnings that transform simple gestures into profound practice. Each session unfolds in our Momoyama-era tea room beneath the same ceiling beams that have witnessed generations of students.
The most intimate form of the tea ceremony. Learn the refined procedures for preparing koicha, where a single bowl is shared among guests in silent communion. The matcha becomes viscous and luminous — a substance entirely different from usucha.
Master the seasonal cuisine that accompanies the formal tea gathering. Learn to compose a meal that mirrors the shifting seasons through carefully chosen ingredients, presentation, and intention. Each dish is a meditation on impermanence.
The restrained art of flower arrangement as practiced in the tokonoma alcove — one blossom, one branch, one moment of beauty.
Study the brush as an extension of the mind. Learn to read and appreciate the hanging scrolls that set the spiritual theme of each gathering.
One-on-one instruction for experienced students preparing for licensing examinations or deepening specific procedures under direct guidance.
Born within the walls of the Urasenke compound in Kyoto's Kamigyo ward, Tanaka Senshō began studying tea at the age of six under the guidance of his grandmother, herself a devoted student of the fourteenth generation head. After completing formal training at the Urasenke Professional College of Chadō, he spent seven years as an assistant instructor before receiving his junkyō certification.
For thirty-two years, Senshō-sensei has guided students through the subtle world of tea. His teaching emphasizes not technical perfection but the cultivation of what he calls "the quiet mind that sees clearly" — a quality he believes can only emerge through patient, repeated practice over many years.
In chadō, the changing seasons are not merely acknowledged — they are the very material of practice. Every element of the gathering — the scroll, the flowers, the sweets, the bowl — is chosen to reflect this precise moment in nature's turning.
The most celebrated gathering of the tea year. Held in early spring when the first cherry buds open along the Philosopher's Path, Hatsugama marks the renewal of practice and the beginning of a new cycle of study. The tearoom is adorned with fresh spring flowers and a newly commissioned scroll. Students and teachers gather as equals — a reminder that in the way of tea, all practitioners are forever beginners.
July · Tea served at the ryūrei table in the coolness of our garden pavilion, accompanied by the sound of the mist fountain
November · Morning gathering marking the first use of the ro (sunken hearth) for the cold season — the most solemn and anticipated transition of the year
January · A tea gathering held during snowfall, emphasizing wabi and impermanence. The garden becomes a painting of white silence
Tea procedure performed with a cloth draped over the hands, expressing the lingering cold of late winter and the quiet anticipation of warmth returning to the garden.
A special preparation in the mizuya emphasizing coolness — using glass vessels, fresh mountain water, and arranged ceramics to evoke the clarity of summer streams.
The ceremony of breaking the seal on a new tea jar — one of the most formal and anticipated events in the annual tea calendar, marking the beginning of the winter tea season.
After fifteen years of practice, what I return to is not the precision of the movements — though that precision is profound — but the quality of attention that the practice demands. Every time I enter the tearoom, the world outside softens and falls away. What remains is the warmth of the bowl in my hands, the quiet sound of the kettle, and the unhurried presence of my teacher. Chadō has taught me that the most important thing we can offer another person is our complete, undivided attention.
"In my work as a surgeon, I perform precise movements under pressure. The tea ceremony taught me a different kind of precision — unhurried, present, and deeply respectful of each moment and each person."
"I came to study tea as a foreigner in Kyoto, expecting to learn a cultural artifact. What I found was a practice that changed how I see time itself."
"Senshō-sensei told me: the tea ceremony is not about making tea. It is about making space. It took me ten years to understand what he meant."
Our school is located within the Urasenke compound in Kyoto's historic Kamigyo ward, a short walk from the Kyoto Imperial Palace. We welcome visitors for introductory sessions throughout the year. If you wish to study, we ask only for sincerity of intention.