💚~~Hello from Waplus Nara, a tea ceremony and calligraphy experience in Nara, Japan!~~💚

One of the most memorable moments at our tea ceremony experience happened when a guest from overseas learned about the meaning of “Wa-Kei-Sei-Jaku” (和敬清寂).

We explained that these four words express the spirit of tea ceremony:

Wa (和) — Harmony
Kei (敬) — Respect
Sei (清) — Purity
Jaku (寂) — Tranquility

Our guest listened carefully and seemed deeply moved by the meaning behind these words.

Then, quite seriously, they said:

“I’m going to put these words up in our office.”

We were touched by this simple comment.

For us, it was a beautiful reminder that the spirit of tea ceremony is not something that belongs only in a Japanese tea room.

The values of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility can be meaningful anywhere — even in a busy modern office far away from Japan.

Taking a Little Japan Home

A tea ceremony experience may last less than an hour.

But sometimes, a small moment during that experience stays with us much longer.

Perhaps it is the warmth of the matcha.

Perhaps it is the beauty of the tea bowl.

Perhaps it is the quietness of the tea room.

Or perhaps it is a single Japanese phrase that makes us stop and think about how we live our everyday lives.

For our guest, it was Wa-Kei-Sei-Jaku.

We were delighted to see that something they encountered during their visit to Japan had become something they wanted to bring back to their own workplace.

That is one of the things we love most about sharing tea ceremony with visitors from around the world.

We don’t simply want our guests to experience Japanese culture.

We hope they find something that speaks to them personally — something they can carry with them long after they leave the tea room.

And if Wa-Kei-Sei-Jaku ends up on the wall of an office overseas, perhaps a little of the spirit of Japanese tea ceremony has found a new home.