Tea Ceremony, Matcha & Wagashi Making in a Kyoto Home

Learn about the history of Japanese tea, witness a ceremonial matcha demonstration, and make matcha and traditional wagashi sweets at this interactive experience in Kyoto (near Fushimi Inari)! Led by a professional English-speaking guide, you’ll leave with a well-rounded knowledge of Japanese tea ceremony and skills to prepare matcha at home.

Itinerary:

Introduction: Relax in a waiting room as your English-speaking instructor explains tea ceremony etiquette, manners, and customs

Japanese Garden: Walk around a quaint Japanese garden inside the home complex

Japanese Tea Room: Enter the tea ceremony room and take a seat on the tatami floor

History of Tea: Your instructor will teach you about the history of tea and Japanese tea ceremonies

Tea Ceremony: Enjoy traditional Japanese sweets and a ceremonial matcha demonstration

Make Matcha: Make and enjoy a bowl of matcha

Make Wagashi: Make and enjoy traditional Japanese sweets (wagashi).

Mihoko and her team, all Kyoto City Licensed Interpreter Guides, share a deep passion for cooking and diverse cuisines, infusing cultural richness into their classes. Besides cooking, they provide additional tours to fully immerse visitors in Kyoto's vibrant culture.

Your journey begins in a tranquil waiting room where your English-speaking instructor will run you through the itinerary and explain tea ceremony etiquette, manners, and customs. You’ll then step outside to walk around the quaint Japanese garden before moving into the tea ceremony room where you’ll receive a lesson in the history of tea and Japanese tea ceremonies. Then, you will savor some traditional Japanese sweets while watching a ceremonial matcha demonstration (after which you enjoy the freshly made matcha). After this, you’ll learn how to prepare matcha tea using a bamboo tea whisk, then sit back, relax, and enjoy your second bowl of matcha. Finally, you’ll make and enjoy traditional Japanese sweets (wagashi).