My CIP activity was sadou (茶道) at Wabichakai, taught by Fujimura-sensei. Sadou is basically the Japanese traditional etiquette of preparing, making, serving, and consuming matcha.

I was interested in sadou because I didn’t know much about anything related to the history or culture of tea in Japan. I also was looking for something that was very traditional and hard to learn outside of Japan, or even Kyoto. Therefore, I think this was a great choice because I think the experience definitely embodied a very traditional and Kyoto-style environment. You will observe and learn how to fold the handkerchief properly, clean and prepare the materials, whisk the matcha, and drink the matcha. There are also other elements, such as meditation and eating wagashi (Japanese confectionery).

Overall, I would recommend this CIP if you are interested in a very traditional and culture/history/religion heavy topic. The lessons do consist a lot of the sensei just talking, so I do recommend it more for those with higher listening proficiency. Also, because of how much time the sensei spends explaining the background or anecdotal stories, the time to actually do the activity hands-on is less, which led to slow progression, in my opinion. However, I still enjoyed the experience, and I bought the whisk, handkerchief, and other materials, so I think it’s something I will definitely continue to do on my own when I go back to the US. Overall, I think it was really unique and not something I could’ve done elsewhere!