Matcha Tea Ceremony Demonstration
Tradition unchanged for 450 years. Experience a Japanese matcha tea ceremony demonstration in a tranquil environment.
What You'll Do
Observe matcha being served in traditional fashion and receive instruction on etiquette as well as insights into the underlying Buddhist principles of Japanese tea ceremony. Enjoy seasonal sweets and matcha.
What's Included
☆ Instruction and Explanation in English
☆ Seasonal sweets and matcha
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.
Accessibility Level
Our Request:
Inform us of the age of any minors attending, accessibility requirements as well as dietary restrictions by making a note in the booking reservation when booking so that we may curate a suitable experience.
How To Order
The Matcha Tea Ceremony Demonstration can only be purchased in combination with a Tour and not as a standalone experience.
1: Adjust the quantity to match the number of experience attendees. For example, if four people are attending, then the quantity should be set to 4.
2: Add experience to cart.
3: 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.
Matcha Tea Ceremony Demonstration
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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茶道 Sado
Journey to the Past
Step into the highly scripted world of Japanese tea ceremony. Every movement memorized by repeated practice to create a harmonious and aesthetically pleasing environment for guests.
Tranquility and Culture In A Bowl
Slow down, breathe deeply and savor the moment.
Did you Know?
Did You Know?
Women were restricted from partaking in tea ceremony in Japan for hundreds of years.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), tea ceremony was actively practiced by the male feudal class in an effort to foster positive interactions with guests and promote artisanal crafts.
As part of abolishing the samurai class, the Meiji government prohibited not only tea culture, but Buddhism as a whole. This lead to a period where tea ceremony was not openly practiced.
In 1886, the first Prime Minister, Itō Hirobumi, dispatched Toriō Tokuan, his foremost associate, on a mission to Europe to investigate the military. Observing how Europe developed its society while preserving traditional culture and religion, Toriō was compelled to transmit his own culture of Zen Buddhism, of which he had mastered.
Upon his return to Japan, Toriō persuaded a leading figure of the Urasenke school of tea that, as tea ceremony is based on Zen philosophy, it is fundamental to Japanese culture.
This lead to tea ceremony being incorporated into the public school curriculum at schools for women, where it was presented not as a pastime but as part of the essential training necessary to be a woman, thus opening the door for women to publicly practice tea ceremony. Shortly thereafter, tea ceremony was included as as a subject of study in many girls' schools.
This then lead to an increase for the need of tea ceremony teachers and it became not only a source of income for female teachers but being associated with women as a whole.
Example Itinerary
1 PM
Meet Your Guide
Your guide will meet you at the designated meeting spot as provided in the tour confirmation e-mail. Alternatively, if you have selected the Personal Chauffeur option, you will be picked up at your accommodation and driven to the 1st location.
1:15 PM
Arrive At Tea House
Arrive at the tea house and prepare to receive the tea.
1:30 PM -2 PM
Tea Ceremony
Receive the tea ceremony, which consists of matcha carefully prepared with Japanese sweets and an explanation of all of the movements and meaning.
Pairs Well With
Uji Tea Tour
Located in south Kyoto, Uji is an ancient town seeped in history.
A literary gem celebrated in classic poems and a beloved retreat for Heian era (794 to 1185) aristocrats, grand structures such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site Byodo-in was erected during this time; It remains just as magnificent in present day.
Uji is equally renowned for being the location for the ending chapters in The Tale of Genji, a classical poetic work depicting aristocratic life in the Heian era. Written by a Murasaki Shikibu, a talented Japanese female creative, The Tale of Genji is of similar cultural stature to the works of William Shakespeare and is considered to be the world’s first novel.
In spring, cherry blossoms bloom along Uji River, a 25 kilometer river that traditionally served as a transportation route, connecting Kyoto to surrounding prefectures, but is now enjoyed via sightseeing boats when its tree-lined banks bloom with sakura. Tea connoisseurs will look forward to early summers in Uji, when tea estates turn vibrant green, while the autumn foliage found at temples create a tranquil scene for nature lovers come fall.
Take a stroll with us thru the birthplace of matcha and sencha and allow our guides to share more of Uji's vibrant history--as well as the best places to try and buy Japanese tea.
Tour Duration: Half Day Tour: 3.5 Hours ・ Full Day Tour: 7 Hours