Boukakuan Japanese Tea House and Garden

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!!
Nov 15th, 2023

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.
Oct 13th, 2023

Aug 8th, 2022

Jun 7th, 2022

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 cant 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 husbands birthday. Our visit to Boukakuan was inspiring and an absolute delight, thank you for creating such a wonderful experience!
Mar 1st, 2023