Spring is a lovely time to visit Japan House. Well, every season is a lovely time to visit, but in the Spring we begin the cherry blossom watch. Last year they bloomed in early-ish April, and maybe general mildness of this winter and decent March temps will coax them out a bit earlier, in time for the Spring House House on April 4th. I make this hypothesis with my wealth of knowledge of weather and plant biology.
Whether they’ve bloomed or not, this is a great event to attend. Japan House will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day, and at 1 p.m. there will be a presentation by retired University of Illinois Arboretum Herbaceous Plant Specialist in Research and owner of Twisted Twig Bonsai, Dale Herrstrom. He will be discussing the art of Bonsai and sharing some of his personal collection. There will be a limited number of plants available for purchase.
There will be eight opportunites to participate in a tea ceremony that day, two of them in their “4.5 Mat Room.” According to Japan House, this is “the most intimate and authentic tea room at Japan House. Special wagashi will be made and served with a bowl of matcha green tea.” Something to note, “guests must be able to get into the room by way of nijiriguchi, otherwise known as the wiggle-in or crawl-in entrance (approximately 25″ square).” If this isn’t your jam, then best purchase tickets for one of the standard ceremonies. Be sure to purchase your tickets soon, as space is limited and they tend to go fast.
Image from Facebook event page.