Like a Serendipitous Reunion at Arashiyama Station
Holding an Irish flag at the Hankyu Arashiyama Station, I was spotted by three young women who rushed towards me with wide smiles on their faces. They conversed with me in such a warm and friendly manner, as if we were old friends reuniting after a long time. It was a heartwarming encounter that felt like a serendipitous reunion with old acquaintances.
Naoko, the host of the tea ceremony, was initially nervous, but she soon warmed up to the guests and had a pleasant time.For the newly introduced experience of grinding matcha using a stone mill, the guests turned the millstone diligently with interest. When matcha powder began to appear from between the stones after a while, a cheer went up. Using a brush and a spoon, they carefully gathered the accumulated matcha powder, strained it with a tea strainer, and the tea ceremony’s tea grinding session came to an end.
Melissa, Kate, and Laura traveled all the way from Ireland to visit our Komurasaki An. It turns out that Áine, another Irish woman who participated in our Komurasaki An workshop on January 29th, had recommended our place to them. Naoko and I are deeply grateful for the connections we form with people, and we are committed to continuing to refine our skills to provide even greater joy to those who visit us in the future.
