Sakai Risho no Mori Tea Ceremony

Sakai Risho no Mori

Sakai Risho no Mori is a venue located in Sakai City part of the outer Osaka area. Sakai Risho no Mori is also known as Sakai Plaza of Rikyu and Akiko and has several displays and exhibitions about tea ceremony. The museum offers a simple form of tea ceremony experiences held in its modern cafeteria different from the traditional tea ceremony that is offered in the Osaka branch of Maikoya .
6-Sen-no-rikyu-512x1024
Sakai is the birthplace of Sen no Rikyu who introduced tea ceremony to Japan. Sen no Rikyu had a close relationship with Toyotomi Hideyoshi the shogun who ruled Japan for many years from Osaka Castle.  The relationship got sour and eventually Sen no Rikyu was asked to commit seppuku.
For those who have time, Sakai Risho no Mori is a good museum to visit to learn about the history of tea ceremony but it is not an ideal place to experience tea ceremony because of the fact that the ceremony is not held in a traditional tea ceremony room. Additionally, for those who want to experience the tea ceremony in English, the place does not have much to offer.