EXPERIENCING A TRADITIONAL TEA, with a Japanese Tea Master at the lead? It's an exquisite happening, one that not only educates guests in the intricacies of the ceremony but also in the experience's history, its beauty, and its enduring importance. There are places that occasionally stage this spectacular, age-old presentation, but if you'd like to find it on a monthly basis, you only need look to Saratoga, and Hakone Estate and Gardens, which will once again serve as the leafy and peaceful setting for a monthly Public Tea Ceremony. Just mark your calendar for...
EVERY THIRD SUNDAY, from April right through to November 2018, but do keep in mind that this is very much a first-come-first-served type of happening, ticket-wise. You'll need to purchase your admission — it's $7 — at the Hakone gift shop on the day of the ceremony, and spots do fill up, as it has proven quite popular in the past. Also note that you'll need to pay admission to the estate, too, before purchasing a ceremony ticket. What will you see, once you're at the Cultural Exchange Center, the spot to go for the tea-lovely to-do?
"THE OMOTESENKE STYLE... of tea presentation and serving" is the focus, "... one of the traditional methods used in Japan for centuries." There's less whisking of the tea, and thus less foam, than in the Urasenke school, and visitors will learn about the entire step-by-step experience. The times each third Sunday of the month fall right around the middle of the day, so plan to be there well ahead of the noon, 1 p.m., or 2 o'clock seatings. More information on this as well as "one of the oldest Japanese Gardens in the Western United States"? Click.
