Tea Tasting & Tea Battle
Taste different cultivators of single origin matcha and sencha in the same sitting, along with other types of Japanese tea, such as genmaicha, houjicha and sakuracha. Test your taste buds with the added option of participating in a tea battle—and ancient tea game where opponents battle to determine who has the most discerning tea taste bud memory.
Choose your experience:
Tea Tasting: This well respected tea house with garden offers a melody of single origin teas, as well as seasonal favorites in a refined, relaxed environment.
Tea Tasting & Tea Battle: Ready for battle? Enter this quaint Kyoto machiya to partake in the old tea pastime of “toucha” or tea battle. All five senses are used in a play on memory and sensitivity.
What You'll Do
Taste finely brewed and varied cultivators of matcha and sencha.
What's Included
☆ Experience participation fees
☆ Tea Tasting
What's Not Included
☆ Any guest purchases
Guest Requirements
☆ Guests are required to behave in a civil and respectable manner.
Activity Level
Low
This is a seated activity with tables and chairs.
Accessibility Level
Wheelchair Accessibility:
Wheelchair accessible experience.
Dietary Restrictions:
Dietary restrictions will be taken into consideration during the initial consultation. Kindly inform us of any dietary restrictions by making a note in the booking reservation when booking so that we may curate a suitable experience.
How To Order
The Tea Tasting & Tea Battle experience can only be purchased in combination with a Tour and not as a standalone experience.
To Order:
1: Adjust the quantity to match the number of tour attendees. For example, if four people are attending, then the quantity should be set to 4.
2: Add experience to cart.
3: Add any additional Add-Ons to cart.
4: Prior to checkout, ensure there is one or more Tours added to your cart. The date of the experience will be the same date of the tour selected.
5: Check out to complete reservation. Our Concierge will contact you shortly thereafter to confirm logistics and answer any questions.
Once confirmed, you will be sent a payment link. Payment is due within 24 hours of the link being sent and payment constitutes a placed order.
Cancellation Policy
16 Days or More Prior To Tour or Experience Start Date: No Cancellation Fee Levied; 100% of Order Amount Returned
15 days to 11 days Prior To Tour or Experience Start Date: 40% of Order Amount Reserved As Cancellation Fee; 60% of Order Amount Returned
10 days to 6 days Prior To Tour or Experience Start Date: 80% of Order Amount Reserved As Cancellation Fee; 20% of Order Amount Returned
5 Days or Less Prior To Tour or Experience Start Date: 100% of Order Amount Reserved As Cancellation Fee; 0% of Order Amount Returned
For more details, reference our Cancellation & Refund Policy.
Pairs well with
Select quantity (number of participants), date and time prior to adding to cart. The date and time is selectable from the "Select Date" button
Select type of tea manufacturer (hand harvested/machine harvested) and Kyoto location (Uji or Joyo).
Tea Tasting & Tea Battle
If you have any questions, you are always welcome to contact us. We'll get back to you as soon as possible, within 24 hours on weekdays.
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Customer Support
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FAQ’s
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Slight Nuances
Appreciate the nuances of various teas prepared under precise conditions. Starting from dry, then wet aromas. After brewed, identify fragrances and taste notes between teas grown in different regions.
In this experience, you can choose to self-compare, or participate in a tea battle, where you will then have the challenge of identifying teas in a blind taste test.
Deepen your appreciation and understanding of the complex world of Japanese tea.
Did You Know?
Tocha Origins
Passed down from China to Japan in the Muromachi period (1336 - 1573), tea tasting contests, or tocha (闘茶) were all day experiences that monks or noblemen partook in—originally in the pursuit of spirituality prior to the custom spreading to the commoner class.
In its early stages, the game was simple: participants tasted tea from different regions to determine if the tea was grown in Kyoto or not. However, as time progressed, the rules became more complex and the prizes more and more extravagant.
Banned by the shogunate due to unsavory practices, such as extravagance, gambling and drinking alcohol, tocha eventually fell out of practice and nowadays are held in by primarily by tea associations and tea schools to educate and train the palate on different types of Japanese tea.
Sample Itinerary
2 PM
Tea Tasting
Clear your palate, then taste different types and cultivators of Japanese tea.
Try your hand and determining the correct tea after multiple seepings.