Tea Gathering Tour
Gain a deeper appreciation for the depth within Japanese tea culture via a quintessential cultural experience: the tea ceremony, or sado as it is referred to in Kyoto. Within Japanese tea ceremony, there are two paths: powdered and leaf, or machado (抹茶道) and senchado (煎茶道), respectively.
In this unique tour, you will experience both: one route focusing on the rituals and the other path focusing on the tea. While both avenues involve serving guests, the presentation, philosophy and atmosphere differ, therefore offering deeper progression into understanding Japanese traditions.
In the Tea Gathering Tour by Nichome Connect, tea ceremony knowledge and practices are neither distilled nor watered down, yet shared with depth and passion for the art. Insight into the performances are now at your fingertips.
Raise your cup in gratitude and take a sip.
What You'll Do
Attend an authentic matcha and sencha tea ceremony demonstration in a traditional environment. Refreshments served will be matcha and gyokuro or sencha paired with traditional Japanese sweets. Receive thorough explanations of the traditions and procedures in English.
What's Included
☆ Matcha Tea Ceremony Demonstration Fee
☆ Sencha Tea Ceremony Demonstration Fee
☆ Refreshments
☆ Instruction in fluent English by matchado and senchado practitioner
☆ Japanese-English Interpretation As Necessary
What's Not Included
Transportation Fees
Getting To & Fro:
We will walk and take public transportation; Alternatively, a taxi can be arranged at participant expense
Guest Requirements
☆ Guests are required to behave in a civil and respectable manner.
☆ As some practitioners are not accustomed to serving foreign tourists, you will be expected to absorb the local customs. Your guide will advise on etiquette.
Activity Level
Low
This activity requires little physical effort.
Accessibility Level
Wheelchair Accessibility:
Not available for this tour. Please contact us via the Contact Us form so that we may provide tours suitable to those traveling in wheelchairs.
Dietary Restrictions :
Dietary restrictions will be taken into consideration during the initial consultation to allow appropriate recommendations on where to eat. 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
1: Adjust the quantity to match the number of tour attendees. For example, if two people are attending, then the quantity should be set to 2.
2: Select desired date.
3: Add tour to cart.
4: Add any desired Add-Ons to cart.
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.
Select quantity (number of participants) date and time prior to adding to cart. The date and time is selectable from the "Select Date" button.
Tea Gathering Tour
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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FAQ’s
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Sencha Tea Ceremony
Based on Chinese principles, the sencha tea ceremony focuses on the art of steeping whole tea leaves using specific water temperatures to bring out different flavor notes in the tea.
The quality of the leaves and the skill of the brewer in extracting their nuanced flavors, as well as rituals, movements and formalities are on display in this performance. The same tea is often seeped twice and served with traditional Japanese sweets to allow the guest to experience the change in flavors of the tea being served.
Restricted Refinement
Step into the world of Japanese refinement, where form, aesthetics, precision, tradition and sill are showcased in a highly polished and aesthetically pleasing execution of the art form of serving tea.
Matcha Tea Ceremony
Deeply rooted in Zen Buddhism, the matcha tea ceremony emphasizes a ritualistic, and contemplative once-in-a-lifetime gathering where harmony (wa), respect (kei), purity (sei), and tranquility (jaku) are practiced inside the tea room regardless of societal constructs.
Powered green tea, or matcha is served along with sweets in a prescribed manner.
Art in Motion
Partake in time-honored rituals in this highly contextualized form of Japanese hospitality and appreciation of the fine arts.
Sample Itinerary
9AM
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 accomodation.
9:15 AM
Sencha Tea Ceremony Demonstration
You will receive a sencha (loose leaf Japanese tea) tea ceremony demonstration in a traditional Japanese tea house.
All procedures will be explained in detail and you will be given the option to receive sencha, or the highest grade of Japanese tea, gyokuro paired with Japanese sweets.
You will learn the meaning, the etiquette and the various schools of thought behind the ceremony.
10:30 AM
Travel
We will then head to the location of the matcha tea ceremony.
11:30 AM
Matcha Tea Ceremony
After talking time to calm ourselves from the outside world, we will then enter the tea house for the matcha tea ceremony demonstration. You will learn the meaning, the etiquette and the various schools of thought behind the ceremony.