The Full Story
About
Sohga-An (or "planting seeds") represents the culmination of a dream. In 1994 Master Masako Koike (Sohga), a Japanese educator schooled in the traditions of the Japanese tea ceremony built a classic tearoom high above 57th Street in Manhattan.
A year earlier, she had brought the Omotesenke tradition of tea practice to the Nippon Club Culture Courses, and wanted to continue planting the seeds of the Omotesenke style of tea culture among American interested in learning orthodox Japanese culture.
For over 20 years she pursued this goal, and since she returned to Japan in 2017, Ruriko Yamakawa has humbly followed in her footsteps teaching the Sohga-an style of Omotesenke tradition.
Mission
The most important purpose of the Japanese tea ceremony is to create a heart-to-heart connection between a host and a guest through a bowl of tea. We should nurture a heart-to-heart connection with good manners and thoughtfulness not only in a tea room but also in our everyday lives.
Vision
Our vision is to inspire a cultural movement rooted in the ethos of the Japanese tea ceremony, where mindfulness, respect, and genuine human connections are cherished. We envision a world where these values permeate all aspects of life, fostering harmony, empathy, and goodwill in every interaction and community.
