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Tea Ceremony in a Traditional Kyoto Machiya
Not your typical “touristy” experience, go deeper and discover the spirit of Japanese omotenashi (hospitality) during this traditional tea ceremony in the heart of Kyoto.
Highlights
Experience a traditional Japanese tea ceremony in the ryurei style.
Discover what a formal tea ceremony would entail in its entirety.
Learn about the different matcha & sweets used.
Observe the proper etiquette involved in taking sweets & drinking tea.
Understand what makes a good bowl of matcha then try for yourself.
10 meals
Experience Details
Located in west Japan, Kyoto, the ancient capital, is one of the world's most popular cities, well known for its temples, shrines, and gardens. It is recognized as the cultural center of Japan, where many traditional Japanese cultural arts originated. Chanoyu, or the Japanese tea ceremony, as it's commonly known in the West, is perhaps the most representative. Its strong influence on many other arts and crafts, from architecture and gardening to kaiseki and Zen, cannot be overstated!
In the central district of Kyoto, in the longest covered arcade in Japan, is a shop called ran Hotei. It is owned by tea master Randy Channell Soei, the highest-ranking non-Japanese actively teaching and promoting the tea ceremony in Japan. Soei is also the author of "The Book of Chanoyu Tea… The Master Key to Japanese Culture", which delves into the profound influence tea has had on various arts and crafts of Japan throughout history. Soei Sensei has been teaching the way of tea for almost 30 years in Kyoto.
In his exquisitely renovated townhouse, you can experience the Japanese tea ceremony in a traditional setting, using tables and chairs. This style of tea ceremony (called ryurei) was developed in 1872 by the 11th generation grand tea master of Urasenke to show omotenashi no kokoro (the heart of hospitality) of the way of tea to dignitaries visiting from overseas who were attending a world's fair held in Kyoto.
So come and have a truly unique experience with Randy Channell Soei at ran Hotei. See why the four ideals of tea, Harmony, Respect, Purity & Tranquility are as valid today as they were hundreds of years ago. It is sure to be a memorable highlight of your visit to Japan!
What You Get
Good To Know
- Come to learn and enjoy!
Meeting Point and Meeting Time
Please directly come to the venue. - 5-minute walk from Subway Tozai Line “Nijojo-mae” Station. - 5-minute walk from Hankyu “Omiya” Station. - 15-minute walk from JR “Nijo” Station.
Cancellation Policy
Cancel your booking at least 24 hours before the experience start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
Experience Location
The bustling Downtown area of Kyoto is the heart of the city, loaded with hotels, artisanal shopfronts, specialty restaurants, and hidden bars. With pleasant surprises around every corner and alleyway, before the Kamo-gawa River to the east lies the beautiful old town architecture of Pontocho, nestled in alongside the local izakaya and lively club scene. The enormous Teramachi and Shinkyogoku shopping arcades run north to south, intersected by the famous Nishiki Markets (“Kyoto’s Kitchen”), while delicious department store basements bubble below with tasty regional samples.
This was an amazing experience
Great experience! We learned so much about the tea ceremony. Randy is so knowledgeable and explained thoroughly. I would recommend to anyone who is interested in learning more about the history and...read more
Our group loved the tea ceremony because it was more of a class than simply being served tea.
We loved the intimate atmosphere. It was fascinating learning about education the tea master had been through. He made it interactive by having us try to whisk the Macha. We would highly recommend ...read more
The class was everything I had hoped for, thorough and educational, but still entertaining and engaging. Being a foreigner himself, Randy-Soei was able to more easily explain the phrases and concep...read more
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10 meals
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