Japanese tea ceremony bowl with chashaku, saji and tea container on black table.

Urasenke Tea Ceremony 裏千家 茶席

Instructor

Keith Snyder
(English/日本語)

Date & Time

Sunday, May 31, 2026

  • 2:00 PM
  • 3:00 PM
  • 4:00 PM

Fee & Registration

$18 + fees & taxes
20% off for members.
Book your tickets in advance on Eventbrite.
A limited number of tickets will be available in person on the day.

Tranquility and Tradition: Experience the Japanese Tea Ceremony

Presented in the Urasenke tradition of tea ceremony in the Tatami room, this event offers a chance to experience chanoyu in our eight tatami mat chashitsu (tea room).

The Japanese Tea Ceremony is a practice that emphasizes harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. It is a ritual involving the preparation and presentation of matcha, a powdered green tea. The ceremony engages sight, smell, taste, and touch. The movements of the practitioners, the utensils, and the atmosphere contribute to a sense of peace.

Ticket holders will be served matcha and okashi (Japanese sweets). The okashi are chosen to complement the matcha and suit the season and occasion. This is a chance to taste Japanese tea and sweets and learn about the tea ceremony. Practitioners will answer questions and share their knowledge.

If you would like to enjoy the Tea Ceremony on the Tatami mats, please wear white socks. Free parking is available in our underground parkade.

About the Instructor

Keith Snyder

Keith Snyder is an Urasenke Tea ceremony practitioner with over 40 years of experience. After studying at the Urasenke headquarters in Kyoto for 8 years, Keith-sensei came to Canada to help establish the Tozenji Temple in Coquitlam. On top of helping to establish the Temple, he established a branch of the Urasenke Foundation in Metro Vancouver with the support of Sen Soshitsu XV, the head of the Urasenke tradition. Keith-sensei currently continues his 38 years of teaching Chanoyu at Tozenji Temple and UBC while being the managing director and resident priest of Tozenji.