When I was in high school, I once climbed a small mountain on a summer moonlit night and drank tea. From the top of the mountain, a field faintly illuminated by the moon spread out before my eyes, and in the silence, a world of grasshoppers, crickets, and bullfrogs could be heard. As I drank the tea, I realized that I too was living in that world. It was an experience that could be called the beginning of my journey into the world of reeds.

Since then, I have visited the mountains countless times, listening to the breath of the forest and spending time with tea. Tea is not just a drink, it is a dialogue with nature and a way to connect with the air and time of the land. It is also a way to connect people and sometimes to quietly cherish oneself alone.

Matsumoto is a mountain city overlooking Utsukushigahara to the east and the Northern Alps to the west. Thanks to the generosity of a certain person, we have been able to borrow a secret mountain area and an old house, and we would like to enjoy mountain tea time with everyone, using the body and all five senses, not in a teahouse or an outdoor tea ceremony.

April 14th Tea Ceremony “Tuesday, Saturday and Wednesday”

Fire creates heat and light, earth supports our journey, and water nourishes life. This is a tea ceremony that cherishes the natural elements of fire, earth, and water. Together, we draw mountain water, arrange rocks to make a hearth, build a fire with mountain branches, and enjoy tea while surrounded by the warmth of the bonfire. As the sun slowly sets over the mountain ridges and the flames rise in their shadows, let's enjoy the taste of Zhengyan Wuyi Suixiang (2024) and 40-year-old Zhengyan Lao Tea.

April 15th Tea Ceremony “Tea, As It Is”

This day will include a light mountain hike of about 4 hours round trip. After enjoying a walk in nature and spreading out a lunch of wild vegetables by a stream, we will hold a tea ceremony in the forest. Just as John Cage loved the sounds of the forest, this is a time to listen carefully to "this moment" and enjoy tea along with the sounds of the wind and rustling leaves. If Cage were a tea master -- we would like to welcome you with this imagination.

Walking is an activity that deepens the connection with nature, and breathing is an innate natural will that we cannot stop. Enjoy tea time with your five senses open as you breathe in the mountain air, watch the changing scenery, listen to the sounds of the mountains, savor the aromas, and wait for the mountains to boil the water.

The tea is made from natural teas collected in the tea forest, herbs and bark from the forest, and the tea is also made from the tea of my beloved tea master Takajoseki Roshi.

The time spent brewing tea and the time spent drinking tea all flow together, connecting us more deeply to the "now". I sincerely look forward to sharing such a moment with you all. The flickering of fire and water, the scent of the earth, the breath of the forest. I hope that these two days will be a chance to experience nature with all five senses, along with tea.

Entering the Garden