Learn how to serve tea Japanese style

Soka University will host Chado, the "Spirit" of Tea, traditional tea ceremony, from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. this Sun., Nov. 9 at the Soka campus at 26800 W. Mulholland Highway, Calabasas. Admission is free, but reservations are required and can be made by calling (818) 878-3741.

At the Chado, participants will "experience the elaborate etiquette and ritual of a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, and learn the historic and aesthetic significance of this beautiful and sacred event," which originated in Zen monasteries in the 16th Century.

The tea ceremony or Chado is the ritualized preparation and serving of "matcha" or fine powdered green tea and a customary confection in the Uraenke School tradition of Chado.

The intention of the ceremony "is to humble and enlighten the participants by helping them to focus their attention on the sacredness and purity of nature, the harmonious beauty of the universe in all its forms, some of which is manifested through human endeavors, i.e., the preparation and serving of the tea, the simplicity and design of the room, the floral arrangements, and the crafted beauty of the tea bowls," according to Soka’s campus recreation programs, which is sponsoring the event.