Machiko Hoshina
Challenging the idea of the tea ceremony as part of the ‘traditional culture’ of Japan, which is like something out of a history museum, Machiko Hoshina is taking the famous cultural experience into the modern era.
Tokyo-based tea master Machiko Soshin Hoshina says the idea to combine the traditional drink with the art form of yoga came after she experienced a friend’s yoga session. A woman responsible for bringing the tea ceremony into the modern age, Hoshina’s company, Tranquilitea, offers guests of all backgrounds an accessible and intimate way to appreciate this timeless art form, and a practice she believes has great importance in the modern day, not just as a connection to history but a way to deal with contemporary stresses.
In terms of heritage, there aren’t many people in the world who seem to be as made for the role of tea master and gatekeeper of history as Hoshina. She is able to trace her family lineage to the founder and first shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate. Hoshina, however, has spent a large portion of her life growing up abroad.
But rather than drive a wedge between herself and her culture, she believes her time overseas helped her become a better tea master and advocate for Japanese culture.
“The international setting influenced me to understand Japanese culture from many sides,” she says. “When you try to explain or want to share anything that relates to you originally, sometimes it is rather difficult to do so because they are too ‘normal’ for you. I wanted a different point of view, so I intentionally moved out of my community and studied as an exchange student.”
Back in Japan, Hoshina understands Tokyo’s dichotomy of tradition and modernity, national authenticity and international influence, which is what makes her company, Tranqulitea such an ideal representative of the city.
“Traditional culture often appeals in front of you as ‘heritage’ like something from a history museum, but this is not for the tea ceremony,” she says. It’s in part this reason she launched an experience that combines yoga and tea. “After experiencing my friend Noriko’s yoga class, I felt so relaxed, like how I feel in my tea room with a bowl of matcha. We found many good connections between the two cultures. We decided to create our original yoga and tea experience where you can open your five senses, connect your body and soul, feel oneness between all the surroundings of yours to gain the confidence to live in this hectic modern time.”
“YOU CAN OPEN YOUR FIVE SENSES, CONNECT YOUR BODY AND SOUL.”