July 6, 2015
Before I left, Alice, Clara’s mom, shared some recommendations for Japan. She highly encouraged a visit to Hama Rikyu Garden. Ms. Gannon and I had a few hours the morning before our flight, and we couldn’t have picked a more perfect time to visit this oasis in the city.
Hama Rikyu Garden is a beautiful public park in the middle of Tokyo, much like the Public Gardens in Boston. It was a rainy morning, and we arrived as the park was opening, so we practically had the garden to ourselves.
We walked around admiring the perfectly landscaped park as well as the quiet stillness that is so rarely found in any city. We made a stop at Nakashima, which is a teahouse that rests on the edge of a pond. Alice informed us that Prince William visited here a few months ago, so we felt like royalty! We entered the traditional teahouse, removed our shoes, and kneeled on tatami mats as we learned the proper way to participate in a tea ceremony.
Here are a few tips that I learned…
1. Eat the sweet first.
2. Pick up your tea with your right hand and place it on your left palm.
3. Drink all the Matcha tea in three to four sips.
After we finished our tea, we walked back out into the park as the crowd began to trickle in. We left grateful for the time we had to reflect on our trip in such a perfect setting.
* I forgot to mention that last night, we visited the Tokyo Sky Tower, which is the 2nd tallest building in the world. Wow. 2R, I think you would have been in awe like I was! Let’s just say, it was FAR taller than the one we built in the classroom that Toshi’s grandparents sent us!
Before I left, Alice, Clara’s mom, shared some recommendations for Japan. She highly encouraged a visit to Hama Rikyu Garden. Ms. Gannon and I had a few hours the morning before our flight, and we couldn’t have picked a more perfect time to visit this oasis in the city.
Hama Rikyu Garden is a beautiful public park in the middle of Tokyo, much like the Public Gardens in Boston. It was a rainy morning, and we arrived as the park was opening, so we practically had the garden to ourselves.
We walked around admiring the perfectly landscaped park as well as the quiet stillness that is so rarely found in any city. We made a stop at Nakashima, which is a teahouse that rests on the edge of a pond. Alice informed us that Prince William visited here a few months ago, so we felt like royalty! We entered the traditional teahouse, removed our shoes, and kneeled on tatami mats as we learned the proper way to participate in a tea ceremony.
Here are a few tips that I learned…
1. Eat the sweet first.
2. Pick up your tea with your right hand and place it on your left palm.
3. Drink all the Matcha tea in three to four sips.
After we finished our tea, we walked back out into the park as the crowd began to trickle in. We left grateful for the time we had to reflect on our trip in such a perfect setting.
* I forgot to mention that last night, we visited the Tokyo Sky Tower, which is the 2nd tallest building in the world. Wow. 2R, I think you would have been in awe like I was! Let’s just say, it was FAR taller than the one we built in the classroom that Toshi’s grandparents sent us!