History of the Senshin’an Tearoom at W&L

Senshin’an

The Washington and Lee University Tearoom in the Watson Pavilion received the name “Senshin’an"（洗心庵）or “Clearing-the-Mind Abode” from Sen Genshitsu, the 15th-generation Grand Master of the Urasenke Tradition of Tea.

• Senshin'an

Tearoom Architecture

The W&L Senshin’an Tearoom is a masterpiece of traditional Japanese architectural design and artisanship.

• Tearoom Architecture

Mr. Seiji Suzuki and the W&L Tearoom

Seiji Suzuki, a tearoom designer and builder in New Jersey, is a third-generation carpenter from Tokyo. He has built tearooms in museums and educational institutions throughout the country, including Harvard University, the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Florida, the University of Illinois, and the Urasenke branch office in a suburb of Washington D.C.

• Mr. Seiji Suzuki and the W&L Tearoom

Tearoom as a Classroom

From the purification of the utensils to the whisking and serving of the tea, students who study Chanoyu, the Way of Tea, participate in a 500-year-old tradition.

• Tearoom as a Classroom

Through the Lens of Scott Smith

Photographer Scott Smith took photos of the tearoom soon after it was completed in the summer of 2006.

• Through the Lens of Scott Smith