The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture) have been hosting “Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony”, the large-scale tea gatherings that bring together a number of tea schools since 2008. This event aims to introduce tea culture and Japanese traditional culture to people both inside and outside of Japan. However, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony planned for October this year (2021), has been cancelled, as well as in 2020.
Since the present circumstances do not allow for the large-scale gathering of people for a tea ceremony, we have decided to provide a spin-off project, “Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony 2021 Spin-off” from Friday, October 8 to Monday, December 20, 2021, to present more opportunities for people to enjoy the tea ceremony culture at home.
We are providing videos demonstrating various aspects of the tea ceremony and holding a haiku (poem) competition on the theme of tea with the haiku poet Itsuki Natsui as the judge. We hope you can take a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life and become absorbed in the world of tea.
Craftsman of Japanese sweets with Tokyo Meister status (an excellence award granted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government) will show the process of making Autumn Japanese sweets together with the interview on the relation between these sweets and the art of tea. At the end, he will teach how to make sweets that even beginners can easily make. Please enjoy the sense of beauty, surprising creativity and delicate and fine work of master craftsmanship.
The beauty and charm of the tea ceremony, also called a “comprehensive art” is presented to you through an actual tea gathering experience. The autumn atmosphere is represented by a hanging scroll, flowers and sweets. The sound of boiling water being poured, and made by mixing tea with a “chasen” (a tea whisk) resonate in silence. Each sophisticated action by the host is an expression of heartfelt hospitality. Feel the great tradition of the tea ceremony still alive in the metropolis of Tokyo.
Students of the Tokyo Metropolitan High School Cultural Federation; Tea Ceremony Department are serving tea at the Hama-rikyu Gardens venue of “Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony” every year. Those students will explain the tips on how serve delicious tea, even for beginners.
(This video will open from the beginning of November.)
Open call for submission of haiku poems (Japanese only) inspired by photos of the Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony.
The works will be judged by haiku poet Itsuki Natsui, who appears on a popular television program as the haiku judge. Please meditate on the traditional tea ceremony culture of Japan through the medium of haiku.
Requirements for submission
【Theme】
Haiku poems inspired by photos of the past “Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony”
【Details for submission】
Call for original, newly created haiku poems(Japanese only) on the set theme.
Works to be submitted are limited to new works by the writer that have not been presented or published in Japanese before. One person can submit multiple works.
【Judge】
Itsuki Natsui (Haiku poet, essayist)
Born in 1957. Lives in Matsuyama City. Leader of the haiku group, “Itsukigumi.” Member of the Aoi Haiku Association. Winner of the 8th Haidan Award. Participated in the founding of the Haiku Koshien. Judge of the official Matsuyama City haiku website, “Haiku Post 365” and others. Serves as the 1st ambassador of Haito (haiku capital) Matsuyama since 2015. Won the 2021 NHK Broadcasting Culture Award. Books include the haiku collection, “Itsuki-shu Ryu,” “Ouchi de Haiku,” and “Itsuki Natsui’s Hibi Kore Kojitsu.”
【Prize】
Special prize (1 haiku poem) and Excellence award (3 haiku poems)
*Prize winners will be presented a small card signed by Itsuki Natsui.
【How to submit】
Please submit via the haiku submission form here. (In Japanese only)
*Up to three haiku poems can be submitted at one time with one Haiku Submission Form.
【Deadline】
November 8 (Mon) 2021 at 11:59 p.m. JST
【Announcement of results】
We will announce on this website in the middle of December.
【Notice】
Please understand that we are not answering any questions regarding the selection.
The copyright of the submitted works belongs to the writer. However, please consent the rights to the Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony 2021 Spin-off Office for freely using the works of the prize winners.
The Works must not infringe upon copyright and Intellectual Property Rights of third parties.
We will not bear any responsibility for complaint or argument on rights infringement and damage compensation by the third party.
By submitting the works, you are agreeing to the above notice.
Applicants’ personal information will only be used for the purpose of correspondence and operation of the contest.
Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony2021 Spin-Off Office
E-mail: tgtc2021@murayama.co.jp
