WHO WE ARE
Chanoyu Week aims to provide spiritual healing and enrichment to the people of New York City through the spirit of "和敬清寂 Wa Kei Sei Jaku-harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility," the philosophy of Chanoyu(Japanese tea ceremony), and to contribute to the building of a stronger community in New York City by integrating various genres, cultures, and ideologies around the tea ceremony.
The event, headed by Yoshitsugu Nagano, a Japanese tea master living in New York City, will host a variety of events related to chanoyu in Manhattan and Brooklyn area every November starting in 2022.
Chanoyu Week aims to provide spiritual healing and enrichment to the people of New York City through the spirit of "和敬清寂 Wa Kei Sei Jaku-harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility," the philosophy of Chanoyu(Japanese tea ceremony), and to contribute to the building of a stronger community in New York City by integrating various genres, cultures, and ideologies around the tea ceremony.
The event, headed by Yoshitsugu Nagano, a Japanese tea master living in New York City, will host a variety of events related to chanoyu in Manhattan and Brooklyn area every November starting in 2022.
Wa (harmony)
To strive for harmony is common to all cultures. Japan has upheld this virtue since ancient times. Peace can be realized when individuals act with a spirit of harmony. It forms the basis of a healthy society.
Kei (respect)
The desire to receive respect must be coupled with the ability to give it. Showing respect will go a long way to facilitating smooth relationships. Respect transends human relations and is afforded to inanimate objects as well.
Sei (purity)
Purity of both mind and body is essential. It is possible to attain a state of purity that will emanate from within through purging one's self of impurities and not being obsessed with superficial concerns.
Jaku (tranquility)
To achieve a tranquil state by passing through the other three elements takes the adept a step closer to enlightenment. To realize this, one first needs to understand the self.
Contributing to the City and People of New York City
The Covid-19 pandemic struck New York City in early 2020 and caused upheaval around the world. Though the chronic stress has harmed many, humanity is resilient and develops ways to overcome daily and extreme struggles. As New York City reopens, engaging chanoyu is a way to move forward and connect with each other in greater mutual understanding.
Chanoyu has a history of more than 800 years in Japan. Samurai chose the way of tea as a method of spiritual healing and deep heart to heart interaction with their fellow warriors under constant pressure of warfare and political turmoil. They nurtured their “serene mind” through chanoyu and formed their “strong mind” through martial arts training. Like the warriors of the past, we create and celebrate opportunities for people to revitalize and refocus themselves through chanoyu.
Director
Yoshitsugu Nagano is the youngest person to be certified in the highest rank of the Ueda Soko school of samurai tea ceremony (USRJWT), which has been practiced in Hiroshima for 400 years, and serves as a regular professor of the school.
In 2019, he relocated to New York City, where he energetically promotes the spirituality and aesthetics of chanoyu through hosting tea rituals both for public audience and by special arrangement, presenting workshops, and teaching his students. He establishes styles of modern tea, incorporating new expressions into this tradition rooted in Zen.
Members
Victoria Schmidt-Scheuber
Japanese Tea Ritual Practitioner, Dai Nihon Chado Gakkai
Victoria Schmidt-Scheuber studies in the Dai Nihon Chado Gakkai tradition with Souheki Mori at Setsugekka teahouse in New York City.
She started her chajin path at Mount Holyoke College, studying in the Urasenke tradition with Nobue Socho Yamashita at Wa Shin An. Building on her art history major and education-curatorial work in museums, she completed her masters in art history at Columbia University. She contributes to New York’s reputation as a premiere cultural crossroads with community building initiatives such as Chanoyu Week NYC.
Victoria enjoys discovering alongside her tea peers the many ways to ‘begin at one, arrive at ten, and return to one’. Traveling the local region to meet chajin at their own events and visit related institutions, she considers chanoyu at its best when shared. Her ongoing research project archives and celebrates the chanoyu heritage of the American Northeast.
Shouhei Yamagami
Public Relations Specialist
Shouhei Yamagami started studying at the Ueda Souko school shortly after Sensei Nagano came to the United States and has been studying with him the longest. He initially became interested in the way of tea from his experience as a martial artist. He has been studying Shinkageryu swordsmanship since 2012 which also incorporates Zen philosophy into its curriculum. He was drawn to the world of tea as he saw in it a facet that could not be cultivated from just martial arts.
Ryosuke Inazawa（Instagram）
Media Coordinator
Ryosuke Inazawa has achieved advanced qualifications in the Ueda Souko school and is actively involved in promoting Chanoyu (the Japanese tea ceremony) in Japan. He belongs to the same school as Nagano-sensei and shares a deep appreciation for Nagano-sensei’s Chanoyu endeavors, which motivated him to participate in Chanoyu Week.
He has creatively converted a camper van into a mobile tea room and conducts open-air tea ceremonies throughout the country. Moreover, he hosts numerous tea-related events in Tokyo’s tea rooms and energetically promotes them by sharing videos and live streams.
Hisashi Miyao（Instagram）
Senior Advisor
Originally from Hiroshima, Japan, Hisashi Miyao is a thriving entrepreneur and dedicated Chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony) practitioner in NYC since 2007. Founder of H. MIYAO CORP. in 2003, he specializes in comprehensive business support, connecting Japan with the global market while cherishing the art of the Japanese tea ceremony. His daily life revolves around matcha, Chanoyu items, and fostering international relationships. He’s passionate about inspiration as well as creativity.