About Us／茶道裏千家淡交会香港協会について／本會簡介

茶道裏千家香港協会は、一般社団法人茶道裏千家淡交会の認可を受けた海外協会として、1997年に創設いたしました。私たちは香港で茶道を学び、その伝統と精神、文化を香港の皆様にご紹介することを目的に活動しています。

The Chado Urasenke Hong Kong Association was founded in 1997 as a formal subsidiary of Chado Urasenke Tankokai of Japan. We study Chado with the aim to introduce the tradition, spirit, and culture to Hong Kong. As of January 2023, around 100 members continue to learn Chado.

茶道裏千家香港協會於1997年成立，為日本茶道裏千家淡交會屬下之正規海外協會。
本會的宗旨是透過在港學習茶道，向大眾介紹茶道的歷史傳統、精神及文化。

茶は約1200年程前の中国から薬として伝わり、時代を経て寺院、貴族、武家階級へと広がりながら、飲み方も儀式的な茶から楽しみの茶、更にその道具や部屋の外に広がる庭までを観賞する総合的な茶道へ成長していきました。16世紀末に生きた千利休は茶を点てるための部屋や道具、その作法まで自らの理想に沿うような新しい茶道の形を作り出しましたが、これが今の茶道の姿に繋がっています。
千利休から直系の16代目に当たりる現在の裏千家は、今も京都を本部に日本を始め、海外の多くの国で茶道を紹介しています。

特に、海外の協会は個々人の茶道の修道の場であると共に、日本文化の一端を担う茶道を通じて、その地元での国際交流と茶道の普及を目的に活動を行っています。

茶道裏千家淡交会香港協会(当時支部)は香港返還の1997年、その激動の年に発足しました。

10数名の会員で始まった本協会も現在会員数80名を越え、その4割近くを占める地元香港の方々と一緒に日々の稽古に励んでいます。

対外的な文化交流活動も日本領事館主催の月次茶会の運営、また学校・大学など教育機関での茶道実演と講習を通じて、茶道への理解とその楽しさ、異なる文化の中でも普遍的なもてなしの心や事と季節感を大切にするというような日本的な事などを判り易く伝えるようにしています。
一方、日々の稽古に加え、季節ごとの茶事稽古、炉開きや初釜など節目となる大切な茶会、また半年ごとに天津裏千家茶道短期大学から講師をお招きして講習会も開催しています。

About us

Over 1,200 years ago, tea was introduced into Japan from China as an herbal medicine. It was first brought into Buddhist temples and the court aristocracy exclusively, and later to the warrior leaders. Along the way, the original ceremonial way of drinking tea in temples gradually transformed to entertainment among the high class people. As tea becomes popular in Japan, tools, furnishings, and even a garden outside of the room started to be recognized as a part of tea gatherings. The herbal medicine from China started to develop as a comprehensive culture of tea in Japan. The 16th-century tea master, SEN Rikyu established a new form of tea, influenced by Zen Buddhism. Having witnessed overly luxurious tea gatherings, SEN Rikyu sought simplicity in every corner including architecture, tea utensils, and the way of tea serving. His world of the way of tea, Chado is recognized as the important principle of Japanese tea today.

The Urasenke Tradition of Tea is one of the direct lineages of SEN Rikyu headed by the sixteenth master in Kyoto. The Urasenke Tradition of Tea introduces the Way of Tea to wide public not only in Japan but also in overseas. The oversea branches offer lessons and also act as cultural ambassadors between Japan and the designated areas. Through a bowl of tea, we aim to promote intercultural friendship and understanding. Currently there are 84 official associations spread over 34 different countries outside Japan.

Chado Urasenke Tankokai Hong Kong Association is one of the 84 official oversea associations established in 1997. Over the 15 years, a small group with just over 10 members has now grown to register nearly 80 members both from Hong Kong and Japan. We are also glad that people in Hong Kong are increasingly interested in learning Chado. Now almost 40% of our members are Hong Kong’s.

In Hong Kong, we participate in various cultural events to share the joy of tea drinking with people here. On regular basis, we actively take part in monthly tea gathering demonstrations organized by the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong. We also work closely with cultural and educational institutions to demonstrate tea serving in various occasions. Through these activities, we aim to introduce Chado to the Hong Kong public, as well as to share the heart of hospitality, appreciation of the seasonal blessings from the nature.

For our tea lessons, we gather at our newly erected tearoom in the City University of Hong Kong. In addition to weekly lessons, we also organize seasonal tea functions called Chaji (茶事/Chaji), Chado’s important festive events such as the rite of switching to a winter furnace (炉開き/Robiraki) and the first tea gathering in the New Year (初釜/Hatsugama), and workshops with instructors from Junior College of Urasenke Way of Tea, Tianjin University of Commerce in China.