Introduction to Japan: Japanese Architecture, Gardens and Tea Culture

6 – 20 March 2014

An introduction to the History and Culture of Japan: its Architecture, Gardens, and Tea Culture through the changing social structures of the eras from 10th – 19th centuries.

Japan’s rich and varied culture combines intrinsic beliefs of Shinto – ‘the way of the gods’, and the imported beliefs from mainland China of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. These influences created a rich and exotic culture that found expression in the temples, palaces, tea houses and living spaces of the various classes, that culminated in the cultural pursuits of the Edo period (1603-1868).

The Tea Ceremony was a formalised ritual and entertainment that involved host and guest in the appreciation of tea, a calm atmosphere, a beautiful garden and surroundings, and followed a graceful code of conduct and social etiquette that is still practiced today.