-
A Birthday Celebration with Matcha and Koicha
Yesterday, I welcomed a couple who had chosen to celebrate her birthday with a small tea experience. I prepared a bowl of matcha for each of them and served it together with a blue kingyokukan inspired by the place where the sea seems to meet the sky. I had hoped that its transparent blue colour…
/
-
Ceremonial Grade Matcha — But Which Ceremony?
The other day, I overheard someone saying: “The matcha here is good because they use ceremonial grade.” And I remember thinking: Do people actually know what “ceremony” means in tea ceremony? In many cafés and online shops, “ceremonial grade matcha” has become a familiar phrase. But if you have ever joined a Japanese tea ceremony,…
-
Seasonality in Japanese Tea Culture — Learning to Notice Small Changes
When people think about Japanese tea ceremony, they often imagine strict rules, formal movements, or beautifully arranged tea rooms. But one of the things that surprised me most when I began learning tea ceremony was something much quieter. It was the attention to the seasons. Not only in an obvious way, like cherry blossoms in…
-
Matcha, Nerikiri, and a Quiet Afternoon in Neuss
Last Saturday, I welcomed a family of three from Brno, Czech Republic, to my small tatami room studio in Neuss. They were visiting the Düsseldorf area and were curious about Japanese culture, especially tea ceremony and matcha. Their daughter, who enjoys K-pop and Japanese culture, had never been to Japan before, so this became their…
-
Kimono Tools That Made Dressing Easier for Me
Over time, there are certain kimono items that quietly become essentials.These are a few things I genuinely love using myself and keep recommending to others. 1. Kūshinsai — A New Kind of Mesh Obi Makura Recommended for hard and thick obi. I love this item so much that I own three versions: the N, DX,…
-
Obijime Guide: Rules, Formality & Styling Explained
Obijime may look like a small detail, but they have an important role in kimono dressing. With otaiko musubi, the obijime passes through the inside of the obi and helps hold the lower part of the shape in place. It prevents the tare — the hanging end of the obi — from falling down. So…
-
How Long Does It Take to Learn Kitsuke?
“How long does it take to learn?” It’s one of the questions I get the most. And I understand why. From the outside, kitsuke often looks either very simple or impossibly complicated. The truth is somewhere in between. It doesn’t take as long as people think. But it also doesn’t work without structure. My own…