Questions? Contact Margie for more information:
SweetPersimmon1 at gmail dot com
September 23, 2025
The Portland International Tea Gathering is less than a month away. We are excited to host you in Portland. IF YOU HAVE FOOD ALLERGIES OR ARE VEGAN, please let me know by October 10. All program activities will take place on chairs. There is no need for you to sit seiza on tatami.
Here are a few things you need to know about:
1. Check in on Wednesday: There will be a table in the hotel lobby from 10 am to 4 pm where you can check in for the event, get your name badge and gift bag. If you need to check in after that, please go to the hospitality suite to get your badge and gift bag.
2. The Hospitality suite in the Kaede room is open from 10 am – 5 pm Wednesday, and in between speakers and activities on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. It will be open on Monday for drop in discussion and craft activities. Please stop in for sweets and tea and if you’d like to make tea let us know.
3. For the teabowl exchange:
- Please include a description of the bowl and it’s provenance. Dogu is all about the stories, the recipient will love to hear about their new bowl.
- Please bring your bowl to the hospitality suite on Wednesday or when you arrive. The staff will give you a token. Please present this token to claim your new bowl in the exchange.
- The exchange will take place on Sunday at 9 am in the Sakura room. If you are not able to be at the exchange, please contact staff in the Hospitality room.
- The bowls will be assigned random numbers. Everyone who brought a bowl, will go home with a bowl.
- If they wish to do so, participants may exchange bowls between themselves after the official exchange.
- Donors are encouraged to identify themselves. Make a new tea friend!
- The bowl should be wrapped or boxed as many of you will be traveling long distances home. (Packing materials will be provided if additional is needed.)
4. The Thursday night buffet banquet starts at 6 pm until 9 pm. There will be a champagne toast and speakers. Again, please let me know if you have food allergies or are vegan by October 10.
5. There will be a bus transportation on Friday, the 17th, that will take us from the hotel to the Portland Japanese Garden and bring us back to the hotel. The bus will leave promptly at 9:15 am. It will leave the Garden at 4:00 pm. If you are not staying at the hotel, please arrive at the Portland Japanese garden by 9:30. The program will start at 10 am. Each participant will be assigned a group number and receive tickets for 3 seki and bento lunch. The seki are open to the public to watch. Only those with tickets will receive sweets and tea. To take the Garden tour please show up at the tour gathering place on your map of the Garden.
6. There will be an opportunity on Saturday morning to participate in Kagetsu. The first round will be demonstrated by Issoan Tea students, but please volunteer on Saturday if you’d like to participate in the second round.
7. There is a change in the program Saturday. At 2:00 pm there will be a session on Incense and Poetry.
We hope you will enjoy our program and we are looking forward to seeing you in Portland.
September 14, 2025
The International Tea Gathering is one month a way, October 15-20. There are only a few places left so register soon. Cut off date for registration is October 10.
Cost for the Tea Gathering is $350. Pay by PayPal here. If you want to pay by other means, please contact Margie, sweetpersimmon1 at gmail dot com, phone 503-645-7058.
Discount hotel rooms can be booked here
Issoan Event Hotel Booking Link
In case you need the Group Code, it is 2510ISSOAN
Updated detail program information can be found here.
Please consider bringing a teabowl for the teabowl exchange on Sunday morning.
There is public transportation from the airport. Metro Light Rail either Red Line or Blue Line. Get off at the Orenco Station, (about an hour and 20 minutes) and it is about a 10 minute Uber or Lyft to the hotel from there.
Questions, concerns, or if you need more information, contact Margie: sweetpersimmon1 at gmail dot com, phone 503-645-7058.
August 1, 2025
The event date is October 15 – 20, 2025. Registration is filling up. There will only be 40 guests who can attend. Please register early. Cost for the Tea Gathering is $350. You can view the program here.
Discount hotel rooms can be booked here
Issoan Event Hotel Booking Link
In case you need the Group Code, it is 2510ISSOAN
I hope to see you in October!
June 10, 2025
Registration for all guests now open. Please register at the links below:
May 9, 2025
I am pleased to announce that the registration is open for the International Tea Gathering. Cost for the gathering is $350. You can submit your registration here.
Please pay by PayPal. If you cannot pay by PayPal, please contact me for other payment options.
Please register early as there are only 40 places available. When the places fill up, we will start a wait list. You will be notified if you are on the wait list.
We have an exciting line up for our program and are excited to host you in Portland. The Portland Japanese will be our highlight with 3 seki and a guided tour of the garden. Please consider bringing a tea bowl for the tea bowl exchange on Sunday. We have demonstrations and presentations lined up, and of course, we will be drinking tea every day. To see the program schedule link here.
You can book discount hotel rooms here.
Issoan Event Hotel Booking Link
In case you need the Group Code, it is 2510ISSOAN
Transportation from the airport to the hotel is about 30- 60 minutes depending on traffic. A cost for ride share can be from $65-85+. If you can share a booking there is a shuttle service for $80+, but additional passengers are $3 more per person. here are a few alternatives for advance booking
March 12, 2025
For those making travel plans, we have reserved a discount block of rooms at the Cedar Tree Hotel, the site of the Tea Gathering.
Issoan Event Hotel Booking Link
In case you need the Group Code, it is 2510ISSOAN
We are working to finalize the program, booking speakers and events. We have confirmed Thursday October 16 for the Welcome Chakai and Banquet. Friday October 17 is confirmed for our day at the Portland Japanese Garden.
There will be a tea bowl exchange, so please consider bringing a tea bowl to exchange with your fellow chajin. More details will be coming.
When we have the program finalized, we will be sending out the registration information. Please register as soon as you can as we will limit the participation to 40 members.
We are looking forward to hosting you in October!
December 1, 2023
Save the date: October 15-20, 2025 in Portland, Oregon, USA for the International Tea Gathering.