Boukakuan Japanese Tea House and Garden

Meditative. Contemplative. This experience is a meditation retreat. The garden that brings you down to the tea house allows you to marvel in the beauty that nature brings. The tea ceremony heightens and relaxes the sense. The building the ceremony is hosted in brings with it a deep sense of nature with wood that is more than 200 years old. The building itself reminds me of the setting of a meditation retreat I visited a long time ago, and the experience of tranquility brings in the meditative practice. Overall, it was a beautiful anniversary experience. Thank you so much, Dr. Hanson.

So coming to the location know that it is the red brick building closest to the road. Drew was a lovely host and conducted the ceremony wonderfully. Having an interest in the culture beforehand will enhance the moments here. It was very memorable.

We had a wonderful experience learning about the history of the area, the history of tea, and the ritual of tea making. The entire family enjoyed the time. Thank you!!

A visit to Boukakuan felt like a passage to another part of the world. From the incredibly well planned and arranged Japanese garden and pond, to the small teahouse that felt bigger on the inside, we were transported. In the journey through the gardens you can imagine traveling out into the countryside, adorned with plants and shrubs that felt purposeful, but natural. While admiring the autumnal colors of the great sycamore and maples, you can’t help but wonder how the wisteria graces the koi pond in the spring.

Making your way further along the path you come upon the teahouse, not so dissimilar in materials from the main colonial house, but undeniably evocative of teahouses in Kyoto. After a ritual water purification, you enter Boukakuan and immediately feel a sense of peace and calm. Sunlight paints the rice paper windows with silhouettes of nature brought inside. The stillness inside heightens your senses to smells of the wood planks forming the structure and the grounding of the tatami flooring.

Throughout the entire experience, Drew makes note of details that went into the creation of this sanctuary and you feel as though a rare gift is being shared from a friend. The tea ceremony selections and decorated Tokonoma were personally crafted for the occasion, paired to the season, and felt very celebratory for my husband’s birthday. Our visit to Boukakuan was inspiring and an absolute delight, thank you for creating such a wonderful experience!

I had a surreal experience at Boukakuan Tea House! Drew gave a tour of his lovely Japanese garden and teahouse. I really appreciated how knowledgeable and thorough he was about the history and sequence of a traditional tea ceremony. Drew took his time to walk us through all the steps of a Japanese tea ceremony and answer any questions that we had. Moreover, he explained the meaning and significance behind the everything from the design of the teahouse to the placement of the objects to the practices of the tea demonstration. I recommend everyone to pay a visit to this hidden gem!

Brought my daughter here for a lesson in authentic Japanese Tea rituals.
Professor Hanson is a great host and teacher.

My friend and I were here today to visit and we really enjoyed our experience! Drew (the owner) showed us the garden that he had prepared for us, showed the significance of everything, and walked us through the ceremony. He spent a ton of time with us and we really enjoyed it. Thank you!