You're fired, I'll do it myself.

[gurdymonkey]

An essay on the history and anthropology of tea. Now THAT'S what I'm talking about.
http://www.anthropoetics.ucla.edu/ap0501/tea.htm

Someone's online tea bibliography. (Look, Ma, descriptions of content! What a concept! Send this man a cookie at once!) One of the titles is by the author of the preceding article, which bodes very well.
http://www.zencha.org/chareading.htm

An online version of Fukuita's 1937 Tea Cult of Japan. Part of a series of tourism publications for Japan's national railroad system. 
http://www.terebess.hu/english/fukukita.html

An 1892 article from the San Francisco Call on Tea Ceremony. (Why yes, as a matter of fact, I do find perceptions of Japan as filtered through Western eyes a fascinating subject in it's own right.) 
http://coffee.quickfound.net/japanese_tea_ceremony_1892.html

Urasenke San Francisco http://www.urasenke.org/

Consulate-General of Japan, San Francisco page on tea ceremony instruction programs. http://www.sf.us.emb-japan.go.jp/en/e_m07_04_04.htm

Tea at the Asian Art Museum http://www.asianart.org/teaceremony.htm
Hm. I don't believe I have anything on for Sunday 11/9/08.  Anybody want to join me? 

1:00 pm and 2:30 pm seatings, Tearoom, Japanese Galleries, $8 members, $20 general (includes museum admission) Space limited. Tickets beginning October 8: online or Admissions Desk

Watch and learn about the Japanese "Way of Tea" as you are served your own tea sweet and bowl of whisked green tea. Space is limited, pre-registration advised.  (NOTE - that's "tea sweet," not "sweet tea.")

Comments

[didjiman.livejournal.com]

You have never be in a tea ceremony? It's kind of fun, in a ritualistic kind of way. The tea itself is not goal, the process is. IOW, the tea is just so-so matcha :-)

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

I have been to a demonstration at Oakland Obon.

[gcmadtown81.livejournal.com]

Grrrr... Why can't I be a millionaire and just fly out for the weekend? Eh, c'est la vie. Maybe next time?

[lisa-marli.livejournal.com]

Hm, that sounds like it should be interesting. I've heard a lot about the ceremony having a friend who has been studying it for years (Jon DeCles).
So far 11/9 is open. I will have to wear western clothes, but I promise to bring my respect.

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

It's a museum demo/lecture. I'm sure most attendees will be in street clothes.

[takadai-no-tora.livejournal.com]

Tea ceremony at the museum sounds fascinating. There's no way I could make it in November, but if this is something that they do every couple of months, I'll try for next spring sometime.

I just googled for tea ceremonies more local to me and found (instead) listings/schedule for Hakone Garden in Saratoga; it looks like they have classes and "public" tea ceremonies one Sunday afternoon a month most of the year. I was looking for something like that in L.A. Little Tokyo or environs, but no luck so far.

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

Here, maybe? http://www.la.us.emb-japan.go.jp/e_web/e_m03_top.htm

[kittyblue.livejournal.com]

Sorry I haven't had a change to dig for books yet. :(

Sen Soshitsu's publications are generally good - I don't have the books handy for the ISBNs, but there are two photo-heavy instruction books on my shelf at home that I got through Alibris and eBay, respectively.

Also, the Yahoo! group Wakeiseijaku has some good discussions, mostly by already-practicing Tea folks.

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

YOU aren't fired. It's someone else, and trust me, you do not want to know. ;-D

[kittyblue.livejournal.com]

Oh, okay! I was worried for a moment, there.

[takadai-no-tora.livejournal.com]

T%he embasy has some great listings--I wish they listed events more thaqn 2 months out, but I've got them bookmarked for future use--thanks for posting the link.
The tea ceremony at the Japanese garden in Balboa Park, San Diego sounds interesting, the garden is lovely and they have a good bonsai collection. As a matter of fact, Liam and I are going to be in that area for a mini-vacation.....the weekend AFTER their tea ceremony, unfortunately.
I think that one of the hotels in L.A. Little Tokyo has a Saturday afternoon or Sunday afternoon tea ceremony, but I haven't been able to find it yet. The search will continue