Two Mexican nationals living in Japan say that studying chado, or the Japanese way of tea, has brought numerous benefits, including strengthening their marriage. They recently shared their story, their love of the Japanese tea ceremony, and a soothing cup of gyokuro tea with me.
Mary Rangel Avila and Alberto Lepe were the only North Americans to qualify as tea ceremony teachers the afternoon of October 29, 2023, at a Hoenryu Tea School ceremony in the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto. Hoenryu is a school of Senchado (sencha-style tea ceremony). Of the ten participants being honored, only two were foreign-born.
Japan’s three leading tea schools, known as San-Senke, are Urasenke, Mushanokōjisenke, and Omotesenke, due to their large following both within and outside Japan, and because they can trace their lineage back to the tea master Sen no Rikyu (1522–1591).
Hoenryu is considered a minor school that emphasizes artistic and spiritual refinement. It is renowned for its elegance and grace in presentation, often with a regional or personal interpretation of wabi-sabi, which combines rustic simplicity with refined beauty. It is distinct from the more codified forms of the Sen families.
Official recognition of their skills and knowledge about Japanese tea was a significant accomplishment for the couple, who, 18 years earlier, had met at an information session for international students at the Japanese embassy in Mexico City. Mary and Alberto decided to help each other prepare for interviews and exams related to scholarships for studying in Japan. Approximately one year later, they married and moved to Nagoya, Japan’s fourth-largest city with a population of 9.5 million, in the Chūbu region between Kyoto and Tokyo, a city of 37 million.
They have studied Japanese culture, including tea practices, more deeply than most foreigners and natives. An English-language workshop at Ippodo, a Kyoto tea shop founded in 1717, triggered their fascination with the beverage. Mary and Alberto sampled various Japanese teas and their matching snacks. Soon afterward, they signed up for a class focusing on tea-drinking manners for guests at tea ceremonies. Also, at a cooking class, sociable Mary befriended a Japanese lady who invited them to a gathering of the Sencha tea association.
Mary and Lepe explained that they originally intended to take only a few introductory classes, but their fascination grew as they delved deeper into Japanese tea. Under the tutelage of an instructor from the Hoenryu school of tea, they spent years studying tea and participating in tea ceremonies. They were the only foreigners studying the customs of sencha-style tea. Most classes were in a tea room in their teacher’s house. The classes were often late at night after work. But Lepe found that engaging in the tea classes was “like meditation.”
Lepe added that studying together added an extra layer of meaningfulness to their classes. For example, if Mary forgot a particular step, Lepe would help, and vice versa. Their other studies and employment were in different fields. Tea study was “an intimate shared experience, says Mary. “It is a time together, separate from everyday life.”
Mary and Lepe are probably the only Mexicans to have completed the learning objectives required to become licensed teachers of the way of sencha. The Hoenryu school offers two beginner levels and two intermediate levels, leading to advanced-level certification, which they hold.
Serving tea to local dignitaries and attending significant memorial events is not uncommon for them. For instance, Mary and Lepe served tea to the Kiyosu City mayor and assisted their tea teacher in serving tea during the Nobunaga Ceremony at a historic temple in Kiyosu. This important ceremony honors the memory of Oda Nobunaga, the samurai warlord who unified Japan during the Warring States Period (1467 – 1573), when numerous states were fighting for dominance.
Joining a tea ceremony and discovering two Mexicans preparing tea flawlessly as Japanese tea teachers surprised many Japanese, which Lepe and Mary admit makes them feel special. Locals appreciate them. Mary looks stunning in gorgeous kimonos that older Japanese friends, whom she describes as “my Japanese mothers,” gifted to her. Lepe also looks distinguished in his kimono.
Since they speak English and Japanese at near-native levels and Spanish perfectly, Mary and Lepe help foreigners and Japanese people understand and appreciate tea culture. Preserving Japanese tea culture is one of their goals. Lepe explains, “I really enjoy when I can get someone interested. When someone asks me questions, it makes my day.”
Japanese tea culture encompasses a broader universe of experiences than commonly known. Many people associate matcha with the phrase “traditional tea ceremony.” However, Mary and Lepe have mastered preparing and serving various tea varieties, including sencha, bancha, kousen, sakuracha, obukucha, gyokuro, and others.
In general, Lepe’s favorite is gyokuro. Mary says her favorite tea is obukucha, a bancha with ume (sour plums) and konbu, a seaweed that symbolizes happiness in Japan. This unique tea celebrates the new year. Both speak highly of mecha, meaning tea produced in the Ise area of Mie Prefecture.
While speaking with this couple. I enjoyed a cup of gyokuro prepared by Lepe. But Lepe wasn’t satisfied. With the critical eye of a tea master striving to serve the best possible tea, he reflected that he might have misjudged the water temperature or not added enough tea. This habit of reflection furthers their goal of constantly improving their tea preparation and bringing the joy of Japanese tea to the lives of others.
Mary says they want to share Japanese tea culture with foreigners “because it’s a completely different world, unique and special, and we’re sure other foreigners would appreciate it just as much as we do.”
The judging panel evaluates Mary’s technique.
See related:
Hand Processing Tea in Yamazoe, Japan | Greg Goodmacher
Three Mindful Tea Drinking Experiences in Japan | Greg Goodmacher
Drinking Tea History in Nara, Japan | Greg Goodmacher
