From the Art Complex Museum's website and press release:

The Art Complex Museum invites you to our Sho-fu-an or “Wind in the Pines” tea house for a Japanese Tea Ceremony.

A ritual practice of preparing and drinking tea, the Japanese tea ceremony is a symbol of Japanese formality and spiritual aestheticism. The ritual is known in Japan as chanoyu, which translates to “hot water for tea.”

Traditionally, the ceremony is practiced in a specialized space called a tea house, designed specifically for tea ceremony gatherings. Sho-fu-an was designed by Japanese artist, Sano Gofu. It was built in Kyoto, Japan in 1969 and reassembled at the museum in 1975 under the direction of Yasahiro Iguchi of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Sho-fu-an.

To celebrate the anniversary, the museum is displaying the show, “Celebrating Sano Gofu” through August 31, 2025. This exhibit features artworks by Gofu from the museum’s collection, including original sketches of the design for Sho-fu-an.

The museum hosts the tea ceremony three times per year, beginning in June.

This year’s schedule:

• Sunday, June 29 at 2:00 p.m.

• Sunday, July 27 at 2:00 p.m. *An extended tea to celebrate the 50th anniversary

• Sunday, September 28 at 2:00 p.m.

The tea event is free and all are welcome. Visitors will observe the tea ceremony, receive tea and a special “sweet,” and have the opportunity to ask questions of our presenters, who are from Chado Urasenke Tankokai Boston Association. In case of rain, the ceremony will be held inside the museum.

What is the Tea Ceremony?

A ritual practice of preparing and drinking tea, the Japanese tea ceremony is a symbol of Japanese formality and spiritual aestheticism. The ritual is known in Japan as “chanoyu,” which literally translates to “hot water for tea.” Traditionally, it is practiced in a specialized space called a tea house, designed specifically for tea ceremony gatherings.

The Art Complex Tea House, Sho-fu-an or “Wind in the Pines” was designed by Sano Gofu and built in Kyoto, Japan in 1969. It was reassembled at the museum in 1975 under the direction of Yasahiro Iguchi of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It is a sanjo daime (3 and ¼ mat) hut with two doors (one for service and one for tea) and a daime tokonoma or alcove.

Sho-fu-an is dedicated to Kojiro and Harriet Tomita, long-time friends of museum co-founders, Carl and Edith Weyerhaeuser. Greatly influential in promoting Asian art and cultural interchange during his lengthy career at the Museum of Fine Arts, Kojiro Tomita had become a close advisor of the Weyerhaeuser family in collecting important art from Japan and China.

The Tea Garden, or roji, is intended to prepare the body and mind for the tea ceremony by bringing visitors closer to nature. The Art Complex Museum roji is adapted to accommodate the many viewers of the ceremony and includes important features: stones, lantern, water basin, stepping-stone pathway, and simple plant material.