Japan · TEA CEREMONIES
An hour on tatami outlasts most of the trip. These 15 span machiya rooms in Gion, garden pavilions above Kiyomizu and sessions that dress you in kimono first, each priced, timed and honest about how many people share the mat.
Kyoto tea ceremony in a traditional tea house at Sannenzaka. Brew matcha, savor sweets, and enjoy a calm garden backdrop at Sakaguchian.
“Very nice tea ceremony, with a short explanation beforehand. Small grp of 10 ppl. Nice view into the garden.”
Matcha, silence, and a real Chanoyu lesson at Jotokuji Temple. Small group, 70 minutes, guided by Ju-An in English.
“Excellent experience. Our host was very knowledgeable and welcoming. I would do it again.”
A 45-minute Kyoto tea ceremony lesson with an Urasenke tea master. Learn matcha rules, taste two teas, enjoy sweets, optional kimono.
“Our guide was very knowledgeable and loved that we could add on rental of kimono. The setting was perfect and the history lesson of the tea ceremony was great.”
Full-day Nara and Uji tour from Kyoto with English guide, Todai-ji and deer park, plus a traditional 500-year matcha workshop.
“Was a truly wonderful day, At-chan was a truly graceful and friendly tour guide who was a wealth of knowledge and humility. It was such a worth while experience for the whole family.”
45-minute Osaka tea ceremony with English guidance, kimono instructors, hands-on matcha whisking, and seasonal sweets in a peaceful tatami room.
“We booked at short notice but loved this. It was an informal way of learning about the history and meaning behind tea and the way it is served shared and poured. Our host and her offsides were in beautiful kimonos and were delightful.”
Chair-based Kyoto tea ceremony in a 100+ year townhouse. Make frothy matcha, try calligraphy, flower arranging, and enjoy Japanese drinks and etiquette.
“We booked the tea ceremony including kimono rental. It was absolutely amazing! It was so fun. The ladies that handled this workshop were so polite,friendly, knowledgeable and fun. We had a fantastic time. The activity included the tea, sweets, calligraphy,flower arrangements and little bits of Japanese customs. 10/10 recommended.”
Formal matcha tea at Kenrokutei in Kenrokuen Garden. Watch, learn etiquette, make your own tea, taste wagashi sweets, take photos. $35.
“Good insight into Japanese tea ceremony rituals and culture”
Wear a kimono and learn the Kyoto matcha ritual at Nishiki, with expert guidance, hands-on tea making, and wagashi sweets.
“They dress you up and help you through the whole process. Extremely professional! You can tell everyone is very proud of their history and everyone made you feel very special.”
Kyoto Arashiyama half-day walk with Tenryu-ji Zen gardens, bamboo forest, monkeys at Monkey Park, Togetsukyo Bridge, and Uji matcha.
“Great tour. Lots of uphill walking to see monkeys. Depending on weather can be treacherous. Beautiful scenery, lots of historical information. Lovely to stop for matcha ice cream which was included.”
Small-group Osaka tea ceremony in Dōtonbori. Learn matcha, watch the ritual, make your own bowl, and enjoy sweets in about 45 minutes.
“The tea ceremony was excellent. We learned not only how to make the tea, but the proper way to serve and drink it too. Our host, Kazu, was informative and taught us about tea culture and its history. And, when my husband’s phone was accidentally taken by another guest, she contacted them and waited with us until it was returned. She was exceptional.”
Learn matcha whisking in Asakusa with an English-speaking host, traditional tools, and seasonal sweets in about 1 hour.
“Great experience and very accommodating even if I was late for a few minutes because I got time confused. Love the experience and will surely recommend.”
Grind Uji tea, whisk fresh matcha, and explore Chazuna’s interactive museum in Uji. One hour for $23, with a summer ice-cream option.
“I like the diacuasion regarding the 3 types of teas in Japan and the hands-on workshop. I can now brew my own matcha. And also for the facilitators, they are very helpful. kudos to them. I enjoyed it very much.”
Orizuruya Gion in Kyoto: wear a kimono, learn matcha, sip it in a small group, with optional Japanese calligraphy.
“Truly recommend this to anyone, was a great experience and staff were lovely. Great to experience traditional tea ceremony in traditional dress.”
Kyoto tea ceremony in a 100-year-old machiya, learn matcha etiquette, make your own cup, and rent a kimono for the stroll.
“We loved this activity ! We just did the tea ceremony with no kimonos and it was perfect! Our guide led us into the room and I volunteered to drink the tea the tea master was going to make so I got to sit at the front. It lasted about 50 mins and you could ask the tea master any questions at the end and get pictures with them and around the tea house. Such a gorgeous experience and a great way to learn about the culture and traditions of Japan.”
Tokyo tea ceremony across from Tokyo University: sip wakocha and gyokuro, whisk matcha, taste Ougiya wagashi, get a certificate.
“The duration of the ceremony was 50 minutes. The Tea Master was very knowledgeable and sweet, but the accent was a bit challenging to understand. Everything we tried tasted very good, place was clean and nice. I would definitely recommend it as it is a nice experience when visiting Japan. If you are going by metro, from Shibuya Station go to Meiji-Jingumae Station, then Nezu Station 14, and you walk 15min to get there. Enjoy!”
Pick the experience, read what travellers said, book the good one.
