An Enchanted Tea Experience

The tea ceremony was integral to the Floating World of Edo-period Japan. Like the famous pleasure quarters of the era, presided over by courtesans and depicted by artists such as Hokusai and Utamaro, the gentle ritual offered a respite from the rigid class hierarchy under the shogunate.

Within the tea room, the focus on hospitality creates a unique experience between host and guest, irrespective of their positions in society. Join the NZ Japan Society of Auckland's Aoteakai Tea Ceremony Group to savour a bowl of matcha and a Japanese sweet, and learn more about the way of tea.

The Enchanted Tea Experience will begin with a welcome from Auckland Art Gallery curators, Sophie Matthieson and Emma Jameson as they provide you with an introduction to the Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan exhibition, currently on display at the Gallery. Explore the places and entertainments of the Floating World inside this exhibition before the tea experience commences in the Gallery's Members Lounge.