Japan in Practice Exhibit Opening: The Way of Tea

Join us for the opening of our new exhibit “The Way of Tea” as part of our new rotating exhibit series “Japan in Practice”!

Japan in Practice: The Way of Tea

Exhibit Opening Reception: September 18, 2026 | 6:00-8:00pm

Free and open to the public!

About the exhibit:

Japanese tea ceremony, or chanoyu (茶の湯), is a living practice shaped through the preparation and sharing of a bowl of tea. Within this seemingly simple yet carefully considered act, objects, gestures, movement, attention, hospitality, and relationships come together.

The Way of Tea presents tea utensils and related materials from the collection of the Japanese Culture Center of Chicago, including objects from the collections of the late Ikka Nakashima Sensei and Omar Francis Sensei, as well as objects acquired by the Center. Additional objects are drawn from the private collection of Mami Takahashi. Accompanied by video documentation, the exhibition considers how cultural knowledge is carried through objects, embodied practice, and relationships between teacher and student, host and guest.

The Way of Tea is a part of our Japan in Practice rotating exhibiton series. Japan in Practice is a rotating exhibition series presented in celebration of the International Museum of Surgical Science’s new Japan Room, opening October 23, 2026. Bringing together contemporary artists, cultural practitioners, and objects from the Japanese Culture Center collection, the series explores relationships among art, the body, material, memory, health, and everyday life.

Changing exhibitions consider how artistic and cultural practices—from calligraphy, tea, and textiles to contemporary interdisciplinary art—carry knowledge through the body and across generations. Presented alongside the Museum’s collections and its Anatomy in the Gallery program, Japan in Practice expands conversations about health and the human experience through artistic and cultural practices connected to Japan.