Tea as Power...for Whom? Gendered History of the Japanese Tea Ceremony

YCAPS & the Sasakawa Peace Foundation are excited to announce the next event in the Community Conversations seminar series in the Iwakuni Community! This event will feature Dr. Etsuko Kato of International Christian University, who will guide us in a discussion on Japanese tea ceremony and its history in relation to gender.

The Japanese tea ceremony, an icon of Japanese culture often depicted in a feminine image today, began as a masculine practice, at least in official spheres, around the 15th and 16th centuries. Deeply gendered, the tea ceremony has always been a self-empowering activity for ambitious social groups. This lecture overviews the history of the tea ceremony from its legendary birth in the feudal era to the present, with a special attention to modern times, exploring why it became women’s culture through the two historical moments: the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century and the end of World War II.

This event is free and open to all in the Iwakuni and surrounding communities. Food and drinks will be provided.

*Due to space limitations, there is a limit of 25 attendees for this event. In order to give priority to Iwakuni residents, initially registration is limited to those in Iwakuni and the Base Community. Registration will open for those outside of Iwakuni on Saturday Nov. 11th - one week before the event. Thank you for your understanding.

Families/kids are welcome. We will have a side area for the kids with fun activities provided by the kind staff at Plat ABC.

Registration is required at this Google form 

Schedule:

• 12:30-13:15 Welcome reception (food & refreshments). Feel free to show up at anytime during the reception.
• 13:15-14:30 Presentation and Q&A
• 14:30-14:45 Optional casual networking and chatting/wrap up.

Location:

PLAT ABC Eigokoryu Center

〒740-0012 Yamaguchi, Iwakuni, Motomachi, 1 Chome−1−1 レジデンス岩国駅東 1F

PLAT ABC website

Google Maps

Speaker:

Etsuko Kato (Ph.D. from the University of Toronto) is a professor of cultural anthropology, gender and sexuality studies, and Japan studies at International Christian University, Tokyo. Her major English publications include: The Japanese Tea Ceremony and Women’s Empowerment in Modern Japan: The Bodies Re-presenting the Past (2004); Mobile Japanese Migrants to the Pacific West and East: Self-searching, Work, and Identification (2023), both from Routledge.

Format: This event will be off-the-record

Registration: Required at this link
Moderators: Jeff Mazziotta

Co-Sponsor: Sasakawa Peace Foundation
Seminar Cost: Free of charge