Urasenke Birmingham

11/19/2025

05/13/2025

Two Alabama native flowers: smooth hydrangea (hydrangea arborescens) and woodland pink (spigelia marilandica). While Japanese flowers are an important part of our flower arranging tradition, there are many native flowers in our region that are perfect for Tea.

03/30/2025

Every year we look forward to the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, one of the few occasions we get to open the Toshinan teahouse for people to see what a unique cultural asset it is to the city of Birmingham. Our hardworking team served tea and sweets to nearly 200 people!

11/08/2024

Today we served tea to Japanese Consul General Maeda, his wife, and guests, in Birmingham’s own Toshinan teahouse. This alcove was prepared to receive them: a painting of autumn scenery; white sasanqua and witch hazel in a shigaraki vase. The board underneath the vase is from the Toshinan itself, removed during recent renovations.

07/07/2024

Today’s flowers, kikyo (platycodon grandiflorus) and yahazusuzuki (miscanthus sinensis) in tabimakura vase by the 9th generation Ohi.

06/24/2024

Yesterday afternoon, a group of dedicated students (some coming from as far away as Florida and Texas to study tea in Birmingham!!) got together to practice hirakagetsu, the first of a group of training exercises that are both challenging and fun. The tanzaku, by the late Henry Mittwer, reminds us of the foundational importance of basics, with its calligraphy of “一ニ三.” Flowers are senno (lychnis senno), toranoo (lysimachia clethroides), and shima ashi (phalaris arundinacea) in a kamogawa kago basket vase.

07/03/2022

An explosion of summer flowers! Celebrating Tanabata and Birmingham’s Sister City relationship with Maebashi at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens

03/22/2019

Sakura Festival, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, March 16, 2019. Sessions included thin tea procedure demonstrations inside the Toshinan Tea House and additional informal lectures with tea and sweet servings in the Tea Garden.

02/28/2019

Yobanashi, an evening of light/dark contrasts made possible by our thoughtful host.

02/28/2019

Sunday evening, February 24, 2019: Yobanashi. An incredible experience.

01/22/2019

Articulate and beautiful!