The Kitano Hotel Celebrates Spring With Tea and Flowers

On March 16-17, Manhattan’s only Japanese-owned hotel, The Kitano Hotel New York will host its annual Japanese Togen Tea Ceremony led by a Grand Tea Master and the property’s President, Ms. Koike.  The ceremony will be in the hotel’s traditional tea room outfitted with tatami mats and rice paper screens.

Following this event, The Kitano Hotel will then host its annual Spring Ikebana Floral Exhibition on March 23^rd.  The exhibit will feature over 20 unique creations, including a variety of peach blossoms, cherry blossom, tulips, hyacinths and anemones. Mr. Noritaka Noda, Ikebana instructor at the Ikebana Ikenobo New York City, will decorate the entire lobby with the flowers. The exhibit is free and runs until through Sunday, March 27 from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m at The Kitano Hotel – 66 Park Avenue (at 38th Street).

Ikebana is the fine art of Japanese floral design, which originated more than 550 years ago in Kyoto when the Ikenobo family created eye-catching flower arrangements for Buddhist offerings. Passing their knowledge down from generation to generation, the Ikenobos established ikebana as not only an art form but also a way of life, called kado. Sen’ei Ikenobo is the 45th-generation ikebana master, continuing the family’s ikebana tradition. The art form is practiced all over the world and continues to evolve with the introduction of new materials and new styles.