Matcha Neighborhood/Area Tours(11)

Although this is described as being mainly about tea, this is really a three-part tour which starts off with the matcha experience and then goes on to a local miso producer, and finally some local history in the nearby castle. There were real friendly and knowledgeable tour guides throughout, excellent service and all necessary trips covered by taxi. The matcha experience was everything I hoped it would be. We visited the tea fields and got to try on the tea picking outfits which was a bit of fun and a nice photo op. We then learned about the production and processing of tea leaves to make matcha, got taught how to make and whisk it, drank it along with some tasty local sweets (wagashi). There was chance to purchase some to take home too. Lunch followed , cost covered by the overall price of the tour, which was tasty and tied in to the next stage which was all about miso. The miso experience was a real surprise, as a westerner I mostly knew miso from Miso Soup, but there is so much more to it. And seeing the passion of the local producers added to the magic. Finally the tour of the nearby museum and castle was a lovely relaxing close to the day with a stop at a tea house at the former Konoe residence for some more matcha and a sweet. Nishio might not be on your itinerary but I highly recommend making the trip! It's so worth it to see this little corner of Japan that has so much to offer. 🍵

Amazing tour! So much fun for our group of 14. We had 4 teens and 3 young kiddos on our tour and they totally helped and accommodated everything for us. The food, the history, culture and the experience was just phenomenal. So many special little treats along the way that customized it for our group. From learning our names to helping us enjoy the temple. So worth it and couldn't have been happier!

Our group of 6 had a wonderful tour of Uji on April 7! With excellent English, Terumi S. led the tour which focused on a wide variety of Matcha and Green Tea experiences. We especially liked Terumi putting tea-making in Japan in context by pointing out the differences as we went along. Even though it was raining we were able to do all of the activities indoors. I especially liked the tea ceremony where the women were in full kimono dress with Terumi translating the ritual. She went the extra mile to get us to our next appointment by riding the train with us and showing us the connection! Arigato for an exceptional tour!

Interesting experience in Ikebukuro. Our guide Adam was very accomodating and friendly. He shared a lot of interesting insights on what food is available in Ikebukuro. I would recommend for anyone who wants and introduction to Japanese food culture and Ikebukuro.

Aaron was a great guide! He knew lots of information about the history of ingredients and food preparation. We learned about spice preparation with some interesting anecdotes too. Be warned, do not eat before you go.