Christy Bartlett first went to Japan in 1972 to apprentice at a potter's studio in Kyoto, but she was soon led into the rich cultural and artistic heritage of Chanoyu, The Way of Tea. She practiced Chanoyu with Sen Soshitsu XV, Head Master of the Urusenke Tradition of Chanoyu, at the Urusenke tearooms of Konnichian in Kyoto. Konnichian has been designated as an Important Cultural Property. Christy studied and eventually taught chanoyu there. In 1981 Dr. Sen sent Christy and Michael Kane to San Francisco to establish the San Francisco office of Urusenke Foundation. For nearly 30 years she has provided programs for museums, schools and universities, and many community groups. She travels throughout the United States to provide master classes, lectures and workshops. She returns regularly to Urusenke Konnichian for study. She holds one of Urusenke's highest degrees, seikyoju. Christy's American education include BA and MA degrees in Art History and Asian Studies from UC Berkeley, and advanced studies with the Graduate Division of East Asian Languag4es at UC Berkeley.

Urusenke is one of the oldest traditions of chanoyu in Japan. It traces its lineage back to the 16th century tea master Sen Rikyu (1522-1591). The Foundation teaches a rigorous curriculum in both Japanese and English to students of all ages and backgrounds. The Urasenke facility in San Francisco combines East and West, traditional and avant-garde, and includes one of the few authentic eight-mat tearooms in the Bay Area. The tearoom was built by master carpenter Makoto Imai.