Kyoto Breeze
An Inner Harmony Time
The Way of Tea
Chanoyu, or the Japanese tea ceremony, is a choreographic ritual of preparing and serving Japanese green tea. It is about the chemistry of the moment the host, the guest, and the tea, meeting in perfect harmony.
"Tea is naught but this: first you heat the water, then you make the tea, then you drink it properly. That is all you need to know."
— Sen no RikyūWabi-Sabi
Rooted in Zen Buddhism, the tea house reflects the aesthetic of wabi-sabi: finding beauty in imperfection, transience, and the natural cycle of growth and decay.
A Moment's Breath
Coolness... the sound of the bell as it leaves the bell.
— Buson
Trusting the Buddha, good and bad, I bid farewell to the departing year.
— Issa
The light of a candle is transferred to another candle— spring twilight.
— Buson
In the cicada's cry no sign can foretell how soon it must die.
— Bashō
Old silent pond... a frog jumps into the pond, splash! Silence again.
— Bashō
Over the wintry forest, winds howl in rage with no leaves to blow.
— Sōseki