
The words of the great 16th Century Tea master, Sen no Rikyu, still ring true today. However, the simplicity of his message is in no way a recipe for the mundane or mediocre. It represents the essence of the Way of Tea, a spiritual path which emphasizes the four principles of wa – harmony, kei – respect, sei – purity, and jaku – tranquility, using tea as the medium of practice and study. But like most Zen traditions, simplicity and essence are often difficult to attain. Without good tea leaves, proper water temperature, the correct utensils, and the knowledge of proper preparation techniques; one cannot produce a good cup of tea.
It is our mission at Charaku Fine Japanese Tea to provide you with the materials and resources to create a thoroughly enjoyable tea experience; whether it is your own personal daily ritual for physical and spiritual health, or a desire to offer the ultimate in omotenashi, “hospitality,” to your guests. We offer a wide variety of high quality teas from various appellations throughout Japan. We also offer Certified Organic Matcha, produced from tencha, hand-picked and granite stone-milled in the traditional method. Our teas are sourced from artisan producers, many of whom are multi-generational, family tea farmers. Charaku teas are fresh packed, in Japan, in nitrogen-flushed small batches in order to bring you the freshest (and therefore healthiest) Japanese tea possible.
We also carry the utensils and accessories necessary to properly prepare and enjoy our quality Japanese tea. This includes hand crafted tea wares, carefully selected from Japanese and international artists. In addition, we provide the educational resources to enhance your understanding and appreciation of Japanese tea. Charaku literally means “Tea Pleasure,” and our hope is that our products and services will enable you to experience the pleasure of fine Japanese tea to the fullest extent!
Please travel through our website to explore the world of Charaku: The Pleasure of Fine Japanese Tea.
Fresh Cup
Charaku News and Events: MAY 20202020 SHINCHA has arrived! Nature has not waited on social distancing or business interruptions, and Japanese tea farmers have persevered through challenging conditions to bring us the new year tea harvest. We are pleased to bring you these teas to enjoy, and to bring you health and happiness during these difficult times. A special new offering this year is our Hachijyuhachiya (88th Night) Sencha from Kobayashi, in Miyazaki Prefecture. The annual tea harvest in Japan begins 88 days after Risshun, the start of spring on the traditional Japanese calendar. Drinking tea picked on this day has always been considered auspicious and believed to bring good health throughout the year. Often reserved for family and friends, this tea has naturally limited availability. I hope that you and yours all stay safe and know that we can get through this together! We continue to thank you for this past season's support and wish you all a healthy New Tea season.
In our WaSabiDou store on Trocadero, we continue to carry plenty of inventory from Japanese and American potters. We also have many antique works of ceramics, prints, folk toys, and more.
As always, thank you again for allowing us to share our passion for tea and crafts with you!
Tatsuo Tomeoka, Charaku-WaSabiDou.