The Japanese are big on punctuality, and the tea world in particular requires great attention to timing. Here at Urasenke, everyone is expected to arrive ten minutes before the time they’re supposed to be anywhere. Thus it was that we left the dorm at about 8:15 to be at the school at 8:20 because we’d been told to be there at 8:30 to be ready for the ceremony that started at 9:30. Read the rest of this entry »