Kyoto · Sannenzaka tea house
A tea master prepares the first bowl in a Sannenzaka tea house, and you whisk the second yourself.
A tea master, a traditional sweet, two cups of Uji matcha and a garden in view. Likely to sell out.
Four things to know first
The tea house hour
The organiser describes one sequence for every group: a welcome, a short talk, a demonstration, then a bowl of your own. Check the calendar for starting times; your confirmation repeats the one you pick.
A guide welcomes you and introduces the garden around the tea house, which the organiser credits to the landscape designer Ogawa Jihei VII. Leave large bags and luggage at your accommodation, since they cannot come in.
Before the tea is made, you hear a brief introduction to the philosophy and traditions behind the ceremony. The organiser describes it as a practice that has lasted about 500 years.
An experienced tea master performs the ritual of preparing matcha, and you watch the precise movements that define it. Notice the order of the movements: you make a simpler version yourself later.
You drink a bowl of freshly prepared matcha with a traditional Japanese sweet chosen to go with it. By Japanese custom the sweet comes before the tea, so eat it first.
In the second half you whisk and prepare a bowl of matcha yourself, with the tea master guiding you. The ticket lists two cups of matcha from Uji, one made by the host and one by you.
A question session lets you ask about tea, its history and the philosophy behind the ceremony. The hour closes with a group photo, the garden as the backdrop.
The organiser puts the ceremony at 50 minutes to an hour, and the ceremony takes place rain or shine.
Chanoyu in brief
Japan's national tourism organisation says the ceremony is known as chanoyu or sado, the way of tea, and calls it a small-scale expression of omotenashi, looking after guests wholeheartedly. Preparing a drink for a guest becomes an art form.
Wikipedia says the monk Eisai brought whisked powdered tea from China around the end of the twelfth century, and that Buddhist monasteries first used it in religious rituals. The tourism organisation adds that the roots of the ceremony lie in Zen Buddhism.
Sen no Rikyū, the sixteenth-century tea master, set out harmony, respect, purity and tranquility as the principles of the ceremony, according to Japan's tourism organisation. He also held that each meeting should be treasured because it can never be repeated.
Rikyū's descendants founded the Omotesenke, Urasenke and Mushakōjisenke schools, Wikipedia says. The tourism organisation notes that dozens of schools exist, each with small differences, so a host's own instructions always come first.
What is in the hour, and what is not
The first three items come with the booking. The last three are the limits to settle before you choose a date.
A tea master performs the ceremony, and an English-speaking instructor leads the session. Private groups and small groups are both available.
Two cups of matcha from Uji, one made by the host and one by you, with traditional Japanese sweets.
A group photo with the garden behind you is part of the ticket.
Kimono rental is not available at Sakaguchian, the provider. Card three is a Gion tea ceremony that includes kimono rental.
Children aged 7 and under cannot enter, so a younger child needs another plan for the hour.
Large bags and luggage are not permitted, so a suitcase belongs at your accommodation or with a luggage service.
Around Sannenzaka
Kiyomizu-dera's main hall in autumn, a stone-paved lane in the Sannenzaka district, a tea-room alcove in Kanazawa, a thatched tea house in the garden of Kōdai-ji, a tea host at an outdoor gathering in Tokyo and a bamboo whisk in a matcha bowl. None is a photograph of this tea house.
Three tea ceremonies in Kyoto
| Ticket | What you get | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Garden tea house near Kiyomizu-dera | This page's ticket: a tea master prepares matcha, you whisk a second bowl, with a traditional sweet, a question session and a group photo. No kimono rental. | First-timers who want a garden view and a hands-on bowl |
| Tea ceremony in chairs, in Gion | The second card: a Gion tea ceremony offered in chairs rather than on the floor, with sweets and a bowl you make yourself. | Anyone who finds kneeling hard |
| Kimono and tea ceremony in Gion | The third card: kimono rental and hair styling for women are listed as included, then a small-group tea ceremony with a bowl you whisk. | Visitors who want to wear a kimono |
Choose your tea
Card one is the garden tea house this page describes. Cards two and three are Gion tea ceremonies: one offered in chairs rather than on the floor, one with kimono rental and hair styling included.
A tea master prepares matcha, you whisk a second bowl, and a traditional sweet comes with it. The tea house overlooks a garden in the Sannenzaka district.
A Gion tea ceremony offered in chairs rather than on the floor, with sweets, a bowl you make yourself and a question session with the tea master.
Choose a kimono, have your hair styled, then join a small-group tea ceremony and whisk a bowl of your own. The group is capped at ten.
Also in Kyoto
Before you go
Open the calendar to see each day's starting times, and remember the ceremony runs rain or shine.
Large bags and luggage are not permitted. Kyoto's tourism association points to Hands-Free Travel counters, including one at Kyoto Station, that forward luggage to your accommodation.
Children aged 7 and under cannot enter. If a younger child is travelling with you, plan a different hour for them.
This tea house does not rent kimono. Card three includes kimono rental and hair styling in Gion.
Kyoto's tourism association calls the Kiyomizu area very crowded, with scarce parking. The booking page names the meeting point.
If your dates move, GetYourGuide lets you cancel up to a day ahead with a full refund, or keep a slot open and pay afterwards.
Go deeper into tea
The short answer 
Getting there and what to expect FAQ
A host prepares matcha in front of you in a set order, you eat a small sweet, then drink the tea. At this tea house you also whisk a second bowl yourself, ask the tea master questions and have a group photo.
No. Japan's tourism organisation says minor faux pas are always overlooked. The habits worth knowing are small: eat the sweet first, raise and turn the bowl before you drink, and thank the host.
Yes. The host prepares the first cup, and in the second half you whisk and prepare your own bowl with the tea master guiding you. The ticket lists two cups of matcha from Uji.
The organiser puts it at 50 minutes to an hour. A formal tea gathering with a meal, a chaji, can last up to four hours according to Wikipedia, so this is an introduction.
Children aged 7 and under cannot enter this tea house, so a family with a younger child needs another plan for the hour.
No. Kimono rental is not available at the tea house. Card three on this page is a Gion tea ceremony with kimono rental and hair styling included.
No. Large bags and luggage are not permitted, so they belong at your accommodation or with a luggage service before you climb to Sannenzaka.
A formal ceremony seats guests kneeling on tatami, so expect that. If it is hard for you, tell the host on arrival. Card two is a Gion tea ceremony offered in chairs.
The price converts to your currency when you pick a day.