WHO WE ARE

Chanoyu Week aims to provide spiritual healing and enrichment to the people of New York City through the spirit of "和敬清寂 Wa Kei Sei Jaku-harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility," the philosophy of Chanoyu(Japanese tea ceremony), and to contribute to the building of a stronger community in New York City by integrating various genres, cultures, and ideologies around the tea ceremony.

The event, headed by Yoshitsugu Nagano, a Japanese tea master living in New York City, will host a variety of events related to chanoyu in Manhattan and Brooklyn area every November starting in 2022.

Wa (harmony)

To strive for harmony is common to all cultures. Japan has upheld this virtue since ancient times. Peace can be realized when individuals act with a spirit of harmony. It forms the basis of a healthy society.

Kei (respect)

The desire to receive respect must be coupled with the ability to give it. Showing respect will go a long way to facilitating smooth relationships. Respect transends human relations and is afforded to inanimate objects as well.

Sei (purity)

Purity of both mind and body is essential. It is possible to attain a state of purity that will emanate from within through purging one's self of impurities and not being obsessed with superficial concerns.

Jaku (tranquility)

To achieve a tranquil state by passing through the other three elements takes the adept a step closer to enlightenment. To

realize this, one first needs to understand the self.

Contributing to the City and People of New York City

The Covid-19 pandemic struck New York City in early 2020 and caused upheaval around the world. Though the chronic stress has harmed many, humanity is resilient and develops ways to overcome daily and extreme struggles. As New York City reopens, engaging chanoyu is a way to move forward and connect with each other in greater mutual understanding.

Chanoyu has a history of more than 800 years in Japan. Samurai chose the way of tea as a method of spiritual healing and deep heart to heart interaction with their fellow warriors under constant pressure of warfare and political turmoil. They nurtured their "serene mind" through chanoyu and formed their "strong mind" through martial arts training. Like the warriors of the past, we create and celebrate opportunities for people to revitalize and refocus themselves through chanoyu.

Director

Yoshitsugu Nagano

Founder & Chair

Japanese Tea Ritual Master / Professor of the Ueda Soko school

Yoshitsugu Nagano is the youngest person to be certified in the highest rank of the Ueda Soko school of samurai tea ceremony (USRJWT), which has been practiced in Hiroshima for 400 years, and serves as a regular professor of the school.

In 2019, he relocated to New York City, where he energetically promotes the spirituality and aesthetics of chanoyu through hosting tea rituals both for public audience and by special arrangement, presenting workshops, and teaching his students. He establishes styles of modern tea, incorporating new expressions into this tradition rooted in Zen.

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