Think you know your Matcha? Rooted in the principles of harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity, the powdered green tea has been a cornerstone of Japanese culture for centuries. In just a few years, though, a social media-led, hipster café-fuelled global phenomenon has seen the ritual of the matcha tea ceremony become a certified craze. Matcha has gone mainstream.
For anyone drawn more toward artisanal culture than Starbucks frappes, the headline culmination of a week long programme of events will see fans of rare craft traditions ‘whisked’ back almost 500 years, as a 20th-generation master craftsman oversees a unique, hands-on experience at Hackney’s beautiful Yorkton Workshops.
This Saturday and Sunday, 6—7 December, Tango Tanimura will host an intimate masterclass for Japanese crafts brand Nakagawa, whose contribution to the country’s heritage culture can be traced back to 1716. His family having crafted the chasen — the bamboo tea whisk essential to the ceremony — for nearly half a millennium, Tanimura will lead workshops dedicated to chasen threading, chashaku (the bamboo tea scoop used in the ceremony) carving, and the history, philosophy and techniques behind this sacred whisk.
The chasen: the bamboo tea whisk essential to the tea ceremony.
20th-generation master craftsman Tango Tanimura.
Participants across the weekend’s three intimate experiences are strictly limited, and booking is required; those interested in this unique opportunity to learn directly from a 20th-generation master can secure their tickets now.
Taking place at industrial-heritage studio and event space, Yorkton Workshops, the lovingly restored Victorian stables will offer a fittingly atmospheric setting for this remarkable event, and can be experienced by all, regardless of attending Tango Tanimura’s masterclasses. A free entry walk-in exhibition of 50 original chasen and matcha tools — including matcha bowls (chawan), chasen stands, and linen tea cloths (chakin) — will see a special selection available for purchase throughout the weekend, with two brand-new designs unveiled for the first time anywhere in the world.
The brand: Nakagawa. The 20th-generation master craftsman: Tango Tanimura . The dates: 6—7 December. The venue: Yorkton Workshops, 1-3 Yorkton Street London E2 8NH. This is one that devotees of matcha and/or Japanese heritage craft will not want to miss, book your tickets today.
Nakagawa Yorkton Workshop Photography, courtesy Nakagawa.
