Event Date:10/10/2021 3pm-6pm
室内ということで、参加者全員マスク着用、Ｗaiver ＆Release of Libility Formの提出、呈茶はなし、など今までのイベントとは全く異なった状況下でのイベントでした。立礼のお点前を5回し、会員の正客がお茶の飲み方のデモンストレーションをしました。体験コーナーでは茶筅を使ってお茶の点て方（実際に飲みません）を体験して頂きました。特に、可愛いお子さん方が興味を持って茶筅を振っていたのが、印象的でした。
今後も、UMBCの学生・教職員等の若い人々や家族連れの活気あふれるジャパンデーが継続し、この茶の湯のイベントが毎年組み込まれて継続できるようになると、大変望ましい茶の湯文化のアウトリーチ活動になっていくと思います。
The Japan Day was an indoor event and the COVID precautions included mandatory mask usage and the requirements for individual participants to sign Waiver & Release of Liability forms. We could not serve any food nor drink to audience during the event, and so one of our members demonstrated “kyaku” manner for each of the five Ryurei Otemae demonstrations. At Hands-on-Experience stations, participants could learn how to make matcha tea with Chasen. Since we could not let them drink tea, we used water in the tea bowls for practice. It especially warmed our hearts to see young children listening eagerly to our instructions and using Chasen with a great focus. The participants were very happy to receive some Kingyoku sweets to take home in pre-wrapped individual packages at the end of their sessions.
We had a good number of young people and families at this well-attended lively event. We hope that the University of Maryland Baltimore County faculty and students can continue to organize events such as this one. We believe that our continued participation in this type of events is a very valuable outreach to the wider community in promoting the Chanoyu culture.
