Hiroshima Samurai Tea Room Tour and Tea Ceremony

Step back in time as you tour historical tea rooms, usually not open to the public, to learn about a 400-year-old tea ceremony tradition with samurai roots in Hiroshima. You'll learn firsthand from locals about the city's local history, including stories about the city's reconstruction after the devastation of the atomic bombing. After touring the Ensho and Kusari-no-ma tea rooms, you'll enjoy a casual table-style tea ceremony under the profound spirit of "ichi go, ichi e," cherishing this encounter as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Sip on matcha, served alongside traditional wagashi confectioneries, and learn the intricate etiquette of the tea ceremony, including how to make tea the traditional way. After the ceremony, your host will recount how Hiroshima was reconstructed following the atomic bombing in 1945, including the inspiring story of how a determined student kept the city streetcars running only three days after the devastating bombing despite heavy damage. This experience takes place on the first floor of the headquarters of Hiroshima Electric Railway, 15 minutes by train from the Atomic Bomb Dome. Guests are encouraged to visit both to better understand the city's poignant history and subsequent reconstruction. For over 400 years, the Ueda Soko Ryu school of tea ceremony has been a stronghold of tea ceremony traditions in Hiroshima. First founded by Ueda Soko, a warlord, gardener, and tea master, the school has been run by several generations of the same family through the centuries, even surviving the 1945 atomic bombing. Its striking commitment to continuing to share the traditions of the tea ceremony and its enduring dedication to hospitality are still as strong as when Ueda Soko served tea to samurai lords in the 16th century.