Tea Ceremony — Urasenke Chashitsu, Kyoto

A 28-year-old Japanese woman kneels in seiza at a traditional chashitsu tea room in Kyoto, performing the Urasenke tea ceremony at 10:20 AM. She wears a formal furisode kimono in deep moss green with hand-painted white and gold chrysanthemum motifs, a cream and gold obi. Her black hair is in a neat formal shimada updo. She is mid-ceremony — hands over the chawan, chakin linen cloth folded in her lap, eyes focused downward with precise concentration. A hand-formed black raku chawan holds freshly whisked matcha, small foam still settling. The natsume lacquer tea caddy and bamboo chasen rest beside it. In the tokonoma alcove: a hanging scroll painted with autumn reeds in sumi ink and a single bronze vase holding one sprig of ominaeshi (maiden flower). The only light source is the shoji window at 90° to her right, casting a rectangle of cool 5000K diffused autumn light across the tatami surface and her hands, the room otherwise in warm, deep shadow. Shot on Leica M11 with Summicron-M 50mm f/2, f/4, ISO 200. Aspect ratio 4:5.