SARATOGA, Calif.—Neat and clean tatami mats line the floor of a small room. A scroll with calligraphy hangs on a wall, and below it are a carefully arranged flower basket and a 700-year-old wooden incense container.
The setting, though simple, creates a pleasant environment to have tea.
Ryosuke Ueda is a tea ceremony student at Hakone Gardens in Saratoga, California. He has been learning how to hold a Japanese tea ceremony from a teacher for 10 years. From setting up to serving to cleaning, he takes care in every step of the procedure.
A room is decorated for a Japanese tea demonstration at Hakone Gardens on July 7, 2022. (Ilene Eng/NTD Television)
Ueda told NTD Television he’s gained a lot of life lessons through the entire process….