CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Since its founding in 1998, Japan House on the University of Illinois campus has been holding traditional Japanese tea ceremonies for the public.
Until recently, the ceremonies, called Chado – the Way of Tea, were conducted on Thursdays and required participants to kneel on a thin mat.
Now, in an effort to accommodate people too busy to attend the 2 or 3 p.m. weekday ceremonies, Japan House is offering a ceremony at 3 p.m. on the third Saturday each month. And participants in the Saturday ceremonies will be able to sit in chairs rather than kneel on mats.
The tea ceremonies are conducted by the Chado Urasenke Tankokai
Urbana-Champaign Association. The association is dedicated to the study of Chado in the Urasenke tradition. The association is open to the public and offers classes for students and adults on how to perform tea ceremonies.
Japan House is open for tours from 1 to 5 p.m. on the Saturday of the tea ceremony. The ceremony, which costs $8, includes a brief tour beforehand and then a traditional bowl of matcha tea as well as a Japanese sweet.
The audience can expect a member of the Chado Urasenke Tanko Urbana-Champaign Association to perform the ceremony. The tour and ceremony last about 45 minutes. Audience members are asked to be respectful during the ceremony to honor the culture and traditions of Japan.
Call 217-244-9934 for reservations, which are recommended.
Japan House is at 2000 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana. There are parking lots to the north and south of the building.
For more information on Japan House and the tea ceremonies, visit the Facebook page of the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Urbana-Champaign Association.
Japan House is wheelchair accessible.
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