2026 Spring Conferment of Decorations

Name:	Christy Bartlett
Decoration:	The Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays
Service:	Contributed to promoting the Way of Tea in the United States and friendship between Japan and the United States
Major Titles:	Director/Founder, Urasenke Foundation San Francisco Branch
Address:	San Francisco, California, U.S.A.

Summary of Contributions:

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Christy Bartlett first encountered the Japanese tea ceremony, or way of tea, while attending UC Berkeley. In 1978, she started her career as an instructor of the Urasenke School in Konnichi-an in Kyoto. She established the Urasenke Foundation in San Francisco in 1981 which serves as Urasenke’s West Coast hub and continues to serve as director.
 
Ms. Bartlett has instructed many students over the years, who in turn have gone on to teach their own classes on tea throughout Northern California, contributing to the development of the Japanese way of tea as a community-based cultural activity.
 
Ms. Bartlett has consulted and collaborated with a number of major educational and cultural institutions for programs promoting the Japanese way of tea to members of the public, including school students of all ages. She has made significant contributions to the dissemination and development of the Japanese way of tea in Northern California, as well as to the promotion of cultural exchange between Japan and the United States.