Influenced by China, the Korean peninsula, and Europe, Japan’s tea ceremony became part of Japan’s unique culture. The 5th seminar of the Rediscovering Common Bonds among Japan, China, and Korea series focused on how the three countries are connected by a shared culture of tea. Experts from China, Korea, and Japan explored the shared history of tea, compared various methods of making and drinking tea, and encouraged cultural exchange through tea ceremony demonstrations.

Urasenke-taught Zhang Jianli discussed the distinctive characteristics of Japanese culture through a comparison of Japanese and Chinese tea drinking practices and tea culture. Korea’s Kim Sochan unraveled the history of the Ido tea bowl—used as a daily bowl in the Korean peninsula but viewed as the best example of a Korai tea bowl in Japan—while showing scenes from his self-produced program, “Korea’s Ido Tea Bowl.” Junko Konno, who runs a Chinese tea salon in Japan, introduced the charm of the Chinese tea ceremony with a demonstration and a discussion of her experience with China-Japan exchange through the Chinese tea ceremony.