When was the last time you simply looked at the moon?
In the rush of everyday life, time can feel like something we are constantly trying to manage, save, or fill.
Yet when we look up, the moon changes little by little. The night air shifts. A new season quietly arrives.
For the first gathering in this series, we explore Tsukimi — the Japanese tradition of moon viewing — through Chanoyu, the Way of Tea.
Tea practitioner Yoshitsugu Nagano will introduce the tradition of Tsukimi and explore how the moon, autumn, seasonality, and our relationship with nature have been expressed through Chanoyu.
Through the selection of flowers and utensils, the preparation of a bowl of tea, and attention to the person in front of us, Chanoyu offers a way of noticing the season, the moment, and changes that might otherwise pass unseen.
Following the talk, VERDEA will introduce Japanese matcha and guide a tasting of matcha from Shizuoka, Japan, offering another way to experience the character and depth of Japanese tea.
We will close with reflection, conversation, and Q&A — a chance to share what we noticed and explore the ideas raised through the gathering.
No prior knowledge of Chanoyu, matcha, or Japanese culture is needed.
We hope you leave seeing this autumn’s moon — and perhaps the passing of the season itself — a little differently.