Chanoyu literally means “hot water for tea.” This procedure of making and drinking powdered green tea is a form, definite and regular. It cannot be defined as to content. That is for each person, each occasion to decide. While chanoyu may be a solitary activity, more often it is done within a small group of people. In the words of Sen Genshitsu, fifteenth generation Head Tea Master of the Urasenke Tradition of Chanoyu, “Strange to say, this tranquility [of sitting alone] will deepen even further when another person enters the microcosm of the tearoom and joins the host….That we can find a lasting tranquility within our own selves in the company of others is the paradox.”
To make the Way of Tea accessible to all, the Urasenke Foundation in Kyoto Japan has trained qualified tea instructors and sent them to teach the Urasenke Tradition of Chanoyu outside Japan. At present the Foundation maintains direct teaching centers in seventeen major cities throughout the world. In 1981, representatives Christy Bartlett and Michael Kane were sent to San Francisco to establish and direct the Urasenke Foundation San Francisco.
Since that time, the Foundation has energetically served the Northern California community with wide-ranging programs for museums, elementary and secondary schools, universities, and numerous community groups. Programs usually are tailored to the interests and needs of each particular group. Examples include slide and/or spoken lectures on chanoyu history, esthetics, philosophy, and associated arts; hands-on workshops involving the placement of flowers for tea, the carving of bamboo tea scoops, or the preparation of tea sweets and kaiseki cuisine; seminars on topics such as teabowls, guest etiquette, or hosting tea gatherings; and of course numerous opportunities for active participation as a guest in authentic tea gatherings. Past sponsors of programs include the San Francisco Asian Art Museum, the Minneapolis Art Institute, the Denver Art Museum, the New York Chanoyu Center, UC Berkeley, Mills College and the Consulate General of Japan. Founding Director Christy Bartlett also travels throughout the United States providing similar master classes, lectures, and workshops to Urasenke Associations in North America.
The core of the Foundation is a rigorous curriculum structured to serve all those whose hearts incline towards the Way of Tea. Classes are offered to all students of any age or experience level who are interested in learning chanoyu, the art of making tea. Instruction is offered by a dedicated group of teachers, in both English and Japanese. The student body represents all ages, multiple backgrounds, and all levels of understanding.
Since chanoyu study may last a lifetime, students are encouraged to learn at their own pace, and to enjoy the quiet pleasure of sharing a bowl of tea with others. Please feel free to make an appointment to visit the San Francisco Urasenke Foundation during class hours, and to meet teachers and other students.
Within a modern gallery-like environment, the Urasenke Foundation San Francisco facilities combine East and West, the traditional and avant-garde, and include one of the few authentic eight-mat tearooms in the Bay Area. The tearoom was constructed by master carpenter Imai Makoto, with his American-trained apprentices. Most of the materials used in its construction are local to the West Coast. Located in the heart of North Beach, long the center of the artistic community in San Francisco, the Urasenke Foundation strives to contribute to the rich cultural milieu of the city.
More information, listings of current programs and events may be found on this website. Or to schedule a visit to the Foundation please call (415) 433-6553.
Urasenke Headquarters
The Urasenke Foundation, Kyoto Headquarters
Urasenke Konnichian of Kyoto, Japan is one of three major establishments that have preserved and furthered the rich cultural tradition known as chanoyu, or the Way of Tea. Indeed, the first generation of Urasenke, Sen Rikyu (1522-1591), was a seminal figure in the transition of the Way of Tea from a medieval practice to its modern form. The principles of chanoyu that Rikyu enumerated—wa [peace], kei [respect], sei [purity], jaku [tranquility]—have remained the foundation of this cultural form for over four hundred years.
The Urasenke Foundation was established in May of 1949, by the fourteenth generation master Tantansai. Thus began an unprecedented committment to advancement of the Way of Tea, sparked by the realization that although the Way of Tea is a distinctly Japanese cultural form, its basis is a set of values and concepts that could be followed by anyone, regardless of nationality.
In 1964, Tantansai’s son Hounsai Genshitsu succeeded to leadership of the Urasenke Tradition. His experiences as a student overseas and his friendships with many non-Japanese convinced him of the validity of his father’s ideas. Under his guidance, the Urasenke Foundation has made great strides, especially in the international sponsorship of the Way of Tea.
The Urasenke Foundation has donated educational materials to numerous cities, universities, museums, and other institutions. But things alone can only begin to convey the philosophy of Tea. Beginning in 1964, the Urasenke Foundation has trained qualified tea instructors and sent them to teach the Urasenke Tradition of Chanoyu outside Japan.
Over the years Urasenke offices have been established in twenty-one cities worldwide. A major contribution to Tea in the West is the New York Chanoyu Center, re-dedicated in 1981 upon completion of tearooms and other faciltities in an historic building on East 69th Street. Also in 1981 the Foundation established a presence in San Francisco. The Urasenke Foundation San Francisco maintains a beautiful tearoom in the heart of North Beach. In addition, the Urasenke Foundation provides support to many, many small Urasenke Associations on every continent.
Intensive study is offered to individuals at the Urasenke Chado Senmon Gakko, an institute of higher learning at the Urasenke Headquarters in Kyoto Japan. A special training center for non-Japanese students comprises part of this institute.The Foundation has published Chanoyu Handbook One and Two, as well as eighty-eight volumes of the journal Chanoyu Quarterly: Tea and the Arts of Japan, and an Urasenke Newsletter in efforts to make information about the Way of Tea available in English.
Zabosai Genmoku Soshitsu (b. 1956) succeeded his father as sixteenth generation master of the Urasenke Tradition in December 2002. He is dedicated to teaching Tea and organizing groups and tea activities throughout Japan and the world. His sponsorship with his late brother Izumi Sosho of a major exhibition of works of art for Tea, titled the New Way of Tea, in New York City in 2002, has already been mentioned.
The grounds of the Urasenke house have been designated an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government. Within are many historic tearooms dating from the time of Sen Sotan, the third generation. In fact, Sotan planted a ginko tree next to the Yuin tearoom which survives to this day. Thus the ginko has become a well known emblem of the Urasenke Tradition.
Across the street from the main entrance, called Kabuto mon for its resemblance to a helmet, is the Chado Kaikan where students of Tea meet daily to study. Built in 1952, this building features many tearooms and gardens used as classrooms and for serving guests. Another building of tearooms used for educational purposes, slightly north of main quarters, was inaugurated in 1983.
Facing on to Horikawa Street is a six-story building that houses the offices of the Urasenke Foundation. It also holds the Chado Research Center and a large gallery for exhibitions each spring and fall. The exhibitions are often accompanied by superb catalogues with thought-provoking essays. The Konnichian Library on the second floor of the building has an extensive collection. The top floor is home to Kyoshinan Temple, which provides a hall for Zen meditation.
To make the Way of Tea accessible to all, the Urasenke Foundation in Kyoto Japan has trained qualified tea instructors and sent them to teach the Urasenke Tradition of Chanoyu outside Japan. At present the Foundation maintains direct teaching centers in seventeen major cities throughout the world. In 1981, representatives Christy Bartlett and Michael Kane were sent to San Francisco to establish and direct the Urasenke Foundation San Francisco.
Since that time, the Foundation has energetically served the Northern California community with wide-ranging programs for museums, elementary and secondary schools, universities, and numerous community groups. Programs usually are tailored to the interests and needs of each particular group. Examples include slide and/or spoken lectures on chanoyu history, esthetics, philosophy, and associated arts; hands-on workshops involving the placement of flowers for tea, the carving of bamboo tea scoops, or the preparation of tea sweets and kaiseki cuisine; seminars on topics such as teabowls, guest etiquette, or hosting tea gatherings; and of course numerous opportunities for active participation as a guest in authentic tea gatherings. Past sponsors of programs include the San Francisco Asian Art Museum, the Minneapolis Art Institute, the Denver Art Museum, the New York Chanoyu Center, UC Berkeley, Mills College and the Consulate General of Japan. Founding Director Christy Bartlett also travels throughout the United States providing similar master classes, lectures, and workshops to Urasenke Associations in North America.
The core of the Foundation is a rigorous curriculum structured to serve all those whose hearts incline towards the Way of Tea. Classes are offered to all students of any age or experience level who are interested in learning chanoyu, the art of making tea. Instruction is offered by a dedicated group of teachers, in both English and Japanese. The student body represents all ages, multiple backgrounds, and all levels of understanding.
Since chanoyu study may last a lifetime, students are encouraged to learn at their own pace, and to enjoy the quiet pleasure of sharing a bowl of tea with others. Please feel free to make an appointment to visit the San Francisco Urasenke Foundation during class hours, and to meet teachers and other students.
Within a modern gallery-like environment, the Urasenke Foundation San Francisco facilities combine East and West, the traditional and avant-garde, and include one of the few authentic eight-mat tearooms in the Bay Area. The tearoom was constructed by master carpenter Imai Makoto, with his American-trained apprentices. Most of the materials used in its construction are local to the West Coast. Located in the heart of North Beach, long the center of the artistic community in San Francisco, the Urasenke Foundation strives to contribute to the rich cultural milieu of the city.
More information, listings of current programs and events may be found on this website. Or to schedule a visit to the Foundation please call (415) 433-6553.
