TOKOTOKO'S
TEA HOUSE
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TOKOTOKO'S
TEA HOUSE
JAPANESE TEA CLASS FOR ALL
I wonder if it's the benefits of tea?
The other day, we celebrated the 99th birthday of Mrs. F, whom we call "Great Teacher." She is a truly wonderful person.
For over 30 years, I have observed how she is able to be so far superior to us in terms of physique, memory, and ability to act, and how she is always so proactive.
I can't help but suspect that this might be the "benefits of tea????"
She always keeps her surroundings beautifully arranged, her mind organized, and she is physically healthier and more active than us.
Looking at this, we can be sure that the future for us, the juniors, is also bright. It is Mrs. F who is showing us the direction. She is also great teacher for life.
Even now, she lives alone and takes care of everything for herself. Isn't this truly wonderful?
And above all, she is always positive and sees things in a positive way.
Vallejo - Akashi Sister City Kinen Tea Ceremony
March 30, 2025
Japan Coast Guard Training Ship Itsukushima Calls at San Francisco May 8 - 12, 2025
Synergy School
Japanese Culture - Introduction
May 19, 2025
Our Tokotoko shachu held our annual Vallejo-Akashi sister city commemorative tea ceremony.
Vallejo, located east of San Francisco, is a town with deep ties to Japan. The hull of the Kanrin Maru, the ship used by Katsu Kaishu when he crossed the Pacific Ocean during the late Edo period, was restored at a shipyard in the city and returned safely to Japan. Vallejo is also known as a shipbuilding town.
In the past, over 200 Japanese and Japanese-Americans lived in Vallejo, but in recent years that number has decreased, and the tea utensils donated by Akashi City were forgotten for a long time. Five or six years ago, they caught the eye of a certain person, which led us to help out, and since then, we have had the opportunity to introduce the tea ceremony to the people of Vallejo every year at the end of March.
All the tools used in the tea ceremony, such as the Goen shelf, folding screens, felt carpets, umbrellas, a short poem handwritten by the 15th head of the Urasenke school, Grand Master Hounsai, as well as the tea bowls and kettles, are carefully stored and are still in good condition today.
This year again, we offered sweets and matcha tea to all visitors, introducing them to a part of Japanese culture.
The Japan Coast Guard's training ship "Itsukushima" recently spent about a week at the Port of San Francisco as its first port of call. The ship is a size larger than the previous "Kojima."
I have the utmost respect and gratitude for your patrols of the waters around Okinawa, where tensions are currently running high.
Also, by interacting with these innocent young people, I felt a sense of relief that Japan is not a lost cause after all.
This voyage is a graduation commemorative voyage for the Japan Coast Guard Academy, and is scheduled to sail around the seven seas over the course of three months. https://www.jcga.ac.jp/english/
At the request of Synergy School, a private school in San Francisco, we, Tokotoko, introduced the tea ceremony to approximately 40 fourth and fifth graders and their teachers as part of an introduction to Japanese culture.
This time, we used a Ryurei Style, prepared tea and sweets, and had the children experience the tea ceremony through the preparation of the tea ceremony. After many trials, we also came up with a way to gently convey the spirit of "Wakei Seijaku" using slides. When we explained using examples familiar to the children, such as Pokemon and samurai, the children's eyes lit up and they listened intently.
After a brief introduction to the history of the tea ceremony, a demonstration of the tea ceremony using a Ryurei table was given, and the teachers and students actually tried the tea and learned how to drink it.
The most popular experience was for the children to make tea using a bamboo tea whisk and serve it to their friends. As the children only had a concentration time of about 10 minutes, we tried to come up with various ideas to keep them entertained and interested.
We concluded the day with a simple greeting in Japanese. We hope that this day will become a fond and lasting memory for the children, and that they will think back on Japanese culture in the future.
PAST EVENTS
~ Past events ~
May 10, 2025
What kind of tree is this Curious tree 🎵
Kono ki nan noki kininaruki????? - Along with the girl's dream
The 1960s and 70s were still Showa - quiet time.
That melody that was coming from the TV
The memorable song "What kind of tree is this? A curious tree♪" remains in the hearts of many people as the theme song for Hitachi Group's TV commercials. The music, which plays along with images reminiscent of foreign landscapes, made me, as a young girl, long for faraway lands, thinking, "Are there places like this in the world?" and "I'd like to go there someday."
In fact, this tree is known as the "Hitachi Tree" and exists on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, USA. It is located in a private garden called Moanalua Gardens, close to Honolulu Airport. Its scientific name is Samanea saman, and it is a large tree commonly known as "monkeypod." Its large, spreading branches and beautiful green leaves are impressive, giving it a presence worthy of being called an "interesting tree."
This masterpiece was written by the collaboration of Akira Ito (lyrics) and Asei Kobayashi (music).
The song goes, "What kind of tree is this? It's a curious tree, I don't even know its name~♪," but now many people know its name and cherish it in their hearts. Detail click here
November 10, 2024 Thanksgiving Shogo Tea Ceremony
On Sunday, November 10th, our association held a noon tea ceremony, inviting the executives who helped us in 2023 and 2024. Since we were expecting more than 10 guests, we quickly had DMS send us a tea ceremony set from Japan and prepared for the 10 guests.
There were two hosts, each in charge of five guests. It was hectic and we weren't able to take many photos on the day, but we will contact you again at a later date and share the photos.
I was worried at one point about what would happen, but I was able to complete the project safely and learned a lot. I have once again reflected on the fact that I need to use my brain more and think more creatively. Detail click here.