My Japanese friend invited me to go and experience an ochakai or tea party. Here, they performed tea ceremony and laid out sweets and whisked maccha to the guests. But it wasn’t as simple as that. I have to learn gestures and phrases, and then practice them before I could even go to this ochakai. The guests are seated on the floor, and you have to say certain things to your left and right neighbor, and also to the server, when you receive your snack and maccha. It’s very interesting experience. After drinking the maccha, we were then to enjoy the artworks around the tea room with reverence.
We also went here in a perfect timing as the shidare-zakura in the temple grounds are in full bloom.
Beatific 