The Shoseian Teahouse, also known as the Whispering Pine Teahouse (the English translation of "Shoseian"), is a teahouse in Brand Park in Glendale, California. It is one of the only traditional Japanese teahouses that is available for public use in the U.S. The building is an important gathering place for the city's Japanese community.[1]
History
The building was built in 1974 as a project of Glendale and its sister city in Japan, Higashiōsaka.[2][3] The teahouse was dedicated on October 20.[4] It was built to show the friendship between the two cities and was led by Otto Neufeld, a local educator. It was named by the 15th Grand Master of the Urasenke School of Tea in Japan, Sen Sōshitsu XV. The school also designated the building as an official tearoom.[5]