URASENKE FOUNDATION OF CALIFORNIA
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Mission Statement
The Urasenke Foundation of California is committed to providing the highest level of educational programs on the intersection of the arts, Japanese culture, and modern global culture. People of all nationalities, faiths, and ethnicities are welcomed.
About This Cause
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.” 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 (1522-91), was a seminal figure in the transition of the Way of Tea from a medieval practice to its modern form. The principles that Rikyu enumerated - Wa, harmony Kei, respect Sei, purity Jaku, tranquility - have remained the foundation of this cultural form for over four hundred years. Under the guidance of fifteenth generation Urasenke Master Sen Genshitsu, the Urasenke Foundation made great strides, especially in the international sponsorship of the Way of Tea. Sen Soshitsu XVI Zabosai, his son, assumed leadership of the Urasenke Tradition of Chanoyu in December 2002. Zabosai Oiemoto too is active in international cultural exchange, having organized with his late brother Izumi Sosho a groundbreaking exhibition titled The New Way of Tea, which was held at the Japan Society and Asia Society galleries in New York City that same year. 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 Urasenke Kyoto maintains direct teaching centers / foundations [出張所] in eighteen major cities throughout the world. Furthermore there are over one hundred Associations of individuals affiliated with the Urasenke Tradition [淡交会／協会] in thirty-six countries 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 West Coast communities and beyond with wide-ranging programs for museums, elementary and secondary schools, universities, and numerous community groups. Programs are tailored to the interests and needs of each particular group. Examples include power point and/or spoken lectures on Chanoyu history, esthetics, philosophy, and associated arts; hands-on workshops involving the function of flowers for the tearoom, the carving of bamboo tea scoops, or the preparation of tea sweets and kaiseki cuisine; seminars on topics such as ceramics, 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 Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, the San Francisco Asian Art Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Minneapolis Art Institute, the Denver Art Museum, the New York Chanoyu Center, UC Berkeley, and Mills College to name a few. From 2007 the Foundation has been providing a regular program of lectures and classes for California State University Sacramento. Founding director, Christy Bartlett also travels throughout the United States providing master classes, lectures, and workshops to Urasenke Associations and other groups 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 offering tea. Instruction comes from 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 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.