“Boil water and make tea; serve others and drink it yourself.”

This is how chado, the ritual of tea, was explained by its greatest master, Sen no Rikyu. Such simplicity, however, is arrived at only through years of training and study. And typical of most traditional arts of Japan, the observable form of chado is superficial.

Chado is essentially a contemplative exercise. Immersing him or herself in strictly codified patterns of movement several hundreds of years old, the master of the tea ceremony elevates the simple mechanics of preparing a bowl of tea to a level of art.

Tea Ceremony Tickets

Tickets are $15 per person in addition to the price of General Admission and must be purchased in cash. There are only 12 seats available for each time slot. Limit two tickets per person.

Tickets go on sale one hour before the first scheduled ceremony of each set, and are sold for all three ceremonies in that set at once.

Tea Ceremony tickets available only at the entrance to Plum Viewing Arbor (download map). Cash only. Each ceremony lasts 45 minutes.

Saturday, August 30
Set 1: 1:00 p.m.         1:45 p.m.       2:30 p.m.
Set 2: 4:45 p.m.         5:30 p.m.       6:15 p.m.

Sunday, August 31
Set1: 11:15 a.m.      12:00 p.m.      12:45 p.m.
Set 2: 3:00 p.m.         3:45 p.m.        4:30 p.m.

Monday, September 1
Set 1: 11:00 a.m.      11:45 a.m.     12:30 p.m.
Set 2: 1:15 p.m.          2:00 p.m.       2:45 p.m.