Traditional Tea Ceremony and Yukata Event Held at GCL

Update:2024.08.21

On July 31, 2024, a tea ceremony and Yukata event will be held at the Global Communication Lounge (GCL) on the Iizuka campus.

A Japanese student who often comes to the GCL volunteered to hold a tea ceremony demonstration for international students, as an opportunity for them to learn the history and etiquette of drinking traditional Japanese tea.

First, the student introduced the history and culture of tea and the simple etiquette of making and drinking tea using PowerPoint slides she had made. She then demonstrated how to make the tea and served it to everyone in turn, allowing each person to slowly savor the flavor of matcha.

In addition to tasting the tea, the student also took time for each person to experience how the tea is made, as there are several precise steps to making the perfect cup. Participants poured matcha and hot water into a special bowl used for the tea ceremony, stirred the tea with a whisk, and drank the carefully prepared tea. There were also some laughs as some students almost knocked over the bowl used to make the tea while desperately trying to use the whisk. In contrast, other students used the whisk timidly, watching the person next to them. Everyone seemed to enjoy this first experience.

Although the number of participants was limited and reservations were required, the host student volunteered to handle nearly 15 participants alone, which was very admirable.

We also set up a section at a staggered time to teach students how to put on a Yukata for those who wanted to wear one at the Iizuka Fireworks Festival held the next day. The host who taught them how to put them on was a new GCL staff member. She brought Yukatas and obis to try on and gave detailed, easy-to-understand instructions on how to put them on.

One international student looked very happy to put on the Yukata over her clothes and even tie the obi sash. When we took a picture of her after she had put it on, she responded with a big smile. Once again, many people enjoyed this GCL event, and it was a great opportunity for international students to experience Japanese culture.