Les jardins japonais pour le thé by Denis-Marie LAHELLEC – Caen (France)
6 September 2025 / 5pm-6pm
Japanese tea gardens
The chaniwa, which literally translates as ‘tea garden’, is the third type of garden to emerge in Japan after ‘mountain and water’ gardens, san sui tei, then ‘dry’ gardens, kare san sui.
The tea garden is the setting that precedes the chanoyu tea ceremony which, in the late 16th century, was institutionalised and codified by Sen no Rikyû. According to the famous tea master, there are four core principles to the way of chado tea: wa (harmony), kei (respect), sei (purity) and jaku (tranquillity). The tea garden is the physical and philosophical journey that enables this state of mind before entering, serene, the chashitsu tea house for tasting and sharing together matcha tea.
In brief, it is a modest path, akin to a steep wild slope that might lead to an isolated hermit’s cabin in the mountains. But it is, naturally, much more than that.
His professional career has essentially been devoted to serving the French State: Ministry of Ecology in the Centre-Val de Loire region, Ministry of Culture in Brittany.
He spent a total of 2 and a half years in Japan, over 3 successive trips: a mission for the Ministry of Ecology on the theme of ‘urban amenities’, a post-doctoral research trip with the University of Tokyo’s department of architecture and landscape on the theme of ‘heritage protection’ and, finally, a study of ‘Japanese tourism clientele in France’ for the Ministry of Tourism and the Caisse nationale des Monuments Historiques et des Sites (national monuments centre).
Architect and gardener, he founded his own Japanese-inspired garden design and consulting company: www.obi-jardin.fr
At the same time, he organises tea ceremonies in his garden in Brittany with the help of a Japanese tea master.
Free entry, subject to capacity.
Practical information
Auditorium du Château
14000 Caen