Japanese tea master celebrates traditional tea ceremony in the garden (Graz, Austria)
Souriki Takamatsu, President of the renowned Urasenke Tankokai Association and Japan’s highest tea master, honoured the Styrian capital with an original Japanese tea ceremony.
The teahouse in the garden of the New Acropolis Graz, which opened in 2019, sees itself as a bridge between Eastern and Western thought. Since then, it has served as a place for encounters, contemplation and cultural exchange. Concerts with Japanese artists, in particular students from Graz University of the Arts, and workshops on traditional tea ceremonies are held here on a regular basis.
The ceremony was a special highlight: with the utmost precision, mindfulness and a deep spiritual focus, tea master Takamatsu prepared matcha tea for three participants, who sat down on tatami mats in the traditional style. The entire design – from the choice of tea bowls to the floral decorations and the calligraphic design of the tokonoma (the central niche in the teahouse) – was coordinated with this year’s theme.
The ceremony has also been registered by official bodies such as the Japanese embassy and emphasises the importance of this cultural practice. The aim of the tea ceremony is to bring the four central principles of Chado – the way of tea – to life:
– Harmony (Wa) – between people, space and gesture
– Respect (Kei) – towards fellow human beings and things
– Purity (Sei) – externally and internally
– Inner peace (Jaku) – in the here and now
In the subsequent interview, tea master Takamatsu emphasised the philosophical depth of this centuries-old ritual: “It’s not just about tea, but about an attitude to life. Harmony, respect, purity and peace should become tangible in our everyday lives.”
The New Acropolis Graz is delighted to have created a space in which these values can be actively lived and experienced – a place of quiet inspiration and international understanding.