Hakone Grand Tea Ceremony October 26, 2025

A thick tea ceremony was held for each serving in the tea room of the Tansoan.

The scroll is "Unmon Kyakani ari" "Above the Clouds, Below Your Feet" and was written by the 15th head of the Urasenke school, Master Hounsai.

The last of the autumn flowers were placed in a sooted bamboo basket.

A long black board is used as the tea ceremony seat, and chestnut burrs harvested in the surrounding area are placed on the Yoshino window.

The tea served was "Kinrin" from Koyamaen, and the main sweets were "Yamaji" made by San Francisco Sannomiya.

In the Big Hall, the tea ceremony was held on a traditional Japanese shelf, a favorite of the 16th head of the Urasenke school, Zabosai Sosho. The tea served was "Isuzu" from Koyamaen, and the sweets were handmade Japanese sweets prepared by the students of the school.

It takes a lot of behind-the-scenes support to successfully hold this tea ceremony. The members of Tokotoko shachu worked tirelessly the day before, like carpenters, handymen, or even elementary school cleaning time. At the end, everyone enjoyed a rewarding lunch and united in their determination to look forward to the next day with a "Heaven's Gate!"