On November 21, Kan’ei 11 (1634), a tea gathering was held at the Kyoto Sento Gosho (Kyoto Imperial Palace for a Retired Emperor), the residence of Joko (Retired Emperor) Go-Mizunoo, as recorded in Rokuon Nichiroku.
Following Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Kinri Tea Gathering (a tea gathering held at the Imperial Palace) in Tensho 13 (1585) and Gyoko (Imperial Visit by the Emperor) to Nijo Castle in Kan’ei 3 (1626), chanoyu (the Japanese tea ceremony) became increasingly integrated into the culture of the kuge (court nobility). It was eventually incorporated into official ceremonies of the Imperial Court.
This lecture explores the relationship between the Imperial Family and chanoyu, beginning with Emperor Saga in the early Heian period, and considers what tea meant to the kuge within court society.
Lecturer: Toru Yoda
Born in Yamanashi Prefecture in 1977, Toru Yoda is Chief Curator of the Curatorial Department at the Toyama Memorial Museum of Art. He completed the doctoral program in Art Studies at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, and holds a Ph.D. in Fine Arts. His research specializes in the history of modern Japanese art and the history of the tea ceremony. His major publications include The Birth of Bonsai (Taishukan Publishing, 2014) and The Imperial Family and Chanoyu (Tankosha Publishing, 2019).
Date and Time
Sunday, August 2, 2026
Lecture begins at 2:00 p.m.
Doors open at 1:15 p.m.
Scheduled to conclude at 3:30 p.m.
Venue
ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto
Nijojo-mae, Horikawa-dori, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto
(Approximately a one-minute walk from Exit 2 of Nijojo-mae Station)
Admission
Free of charge (Advance registration required; capacity approximately 300 participants)
Registration
Please register via Peatix.
Organizers
Organizer: Kan’ei Gyoko 400th Anniversary Executive Committee
Co-organizer: Living History KYOTO
Supported by: ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto