Crash Course on Japanese Tea ceremony

Reserve Online

Price
¥4900 / person
¥4410 / person   (+ tax)
Another 10% OFF for 10 or more people

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Tea Ceremony has a history that dates back to more than a thousand years. The Japanese tea ceremony is one of the most recognized and iconic rituals in the country. Tourists and visitors often get both intrigued and surprised that there are steps to be followed when experiencing this ritual. However, it is an experience that is rather fun and enjoyable. To know more about the tea ceremony, read below interesting information and see how one can sign up for the course.

 

Tea Ceremony Timeline

Japanese tea culture

In the 9th Century, tea culture traveled from China to Japan. The customs of serving tea did not become popular until the 13th century. By the late 15th and 16th centuries, the tea culture was ceremonially-prepared by a fully-skilled tea master and served to guests in a restful and tranquil setting. This way of preparing and serving tea has become known as “Chanoyu”, literally “hot water for tea”.

 

Tea Ceremony Tools

Japanese Tea Ceremony Set Tools Utensils

In order to prepare for the tea ceremony, it is best that the student must know the background for the tools used. There are essential items needed in a tea ceremony that are used by a tea master. Also referred to as Chadougu, the ceremonial tools are what embodies the philosophy of zen. Tools usually reflect the master of the tea ceremony. This helps students observe and understand why a tea master prepares the best ceremonial tools.

  • Cleaning Cloth for Chawan (Cha Kin). Cha Kin is another cleaning cloth that is only used for wiping the tea bowl.
  • Tea Whisk (Cha Sen). Cha Sen is the Japanese name or term for the tea whisk of the tea ceremony master.
  • Tea Ladle (Chashaku). Cha Shaku or tea ladle is used to scoop powdered tea or matcha.
  • Tea Bowl (Chawan). The tea bowl is used for the tea preparation. It is also used for drinking the prepared tea. The bowl must be suitable for the tea ceremony and is based on certain factors. One of these factors are the seasons of Japan, where learners might see a thick chawan in the winter or a shallow one in the summer.
  • Cleaning Silk Cloth (Fukusa). The purpose of the tea cloth is to clean the tools used in the tea ceremony. These usually appear in solid color.
  • Tea Pot (Kama). The usual Japanese teapot used in a tea ceremony is made of iron. Its purpose is to heat the water to use in the ceremony.
  • Tea Caddy (Natsume). The tea caddy is used for keeping the tea fresh and storing the tea after preparation.

Tea Ceremony Relevance

Online Tea Ceremony Virtual Tea Class

Online Tea Ceremony and the Virtual Tea Class by Maikoya

Nowadays, the Japanese tea ceremony is also called “Chanoyu”, “Sado” or simply “Ocha” in the Japanese language. The tea ceremony is also likened to the choreographic ritual of preparing and serving Japanese green tea, called “Matcha”, along with traditional Japanese sweets called “Wagashi” to balance with the bitter taste of the tea.

Also, thanks to the global connection made by the internet, anyone can learn about the Japanese tea ceremony in their homes. It is a must-try experience for tourists or, given the situation of this pandemic, a must-try for students and fans of Japanese culture.

 

This Course is Recommended For

People interested in Japanese culture, traditional tea practices, and tea fanatics. The course is also perfect for those who want a  more intimate one-on-one experience.

 

Features

The tea house, tea making, and tea instructor are all as authentic as they come. Students get to learn from teachers right from the tea room of Maikoya Kimono Tea Ceremony.  The online tea ceremony at Maikoya is a fantastic experience no pandemic should prevent.

 

Celebrate with Tea Ceremony

For birthdays, anniversaries, and celebrations of all kinds, enjoy private and privileged moments one will never forget. Learners can treat any friend or loved one to this as a game-changing gift.

 

What to Prepare

Tea Ceremony Tools

Tea Ceremony Tools

  • A tea bowl or a regular bowl having 8-20 cm in diameter (any medium-sized bowl is OK)
  • Hot water in a thermos flask or container
  • Matcha powder or any tea bag – including regular black teabags
  • Anything sweet (e.g. a small dessert, cookie) on a small plate
  • A handkerchief

 

Notes on Reserving Tea Ceremony Online

Online tea ceremony

Online tea ceremony by MAIKOYA

  • Reservable time slots are Japanese Standard Time
    (use thetimezoneconverter.com to work out the best time for your location).
  • Please join the meeting using a device with a video camera and microphone
    (iPhone, MacBook, Airbook, webcam, etc.).
  • The teacher has to prepare for the meeting by wearing a kimono and setting up the tea ceremony room, which takes hours. She also has to arrange her schedule in advance. Please acknowledge that a cancellation fee applies if a student is unable to participate in the meeting.

Why Maikoya

  • Maikoya is one of the pioneering institutions in Japan to provide online cultural experiences that have attracted media coverage
  • Maikoya is the largest experience provider of its kind in Japan, with branches in three major cities and catering to over 100,000 guests
  • Maikoya is the ONLY three-time consecutive TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice winner in its category in Japan
  • Maikoya is the only traditional tea ceremony venue in Japan to have earned over 2500 five-star reviews on Google and other platforms

 

Even more Online experiences

Ikebana flower experience
Ikebana means making flowers alive or giving flowers life. It is the Japanese way of flower arrangement also known as kado. During the Heian period, the priests who took care of altar arrangements were called ikenobo and they are the first known masters who developed the best way of arranging flowers.
Geisha Online – PRIVATE Meeting with a Geisha from Kyoto
it was impossible to meet a geisha for first-timers because in Kyoto there is a rule called “ichigensan okotowari” which means personal reference is necessary for a geisha meeting. But, now, for the first time ever, you can meet a real geisha from Kyoto’s geisha district online.
Visit Fushimi Inari LIVE
For the first time ever, you can visit this historic site live led by an experienced tour guide live. Since this is not a video but a live-streamed walking tour held privately you can ask questions and interact with the tour guide.
Virtual Kyoto Tour with a Local Tour Guide
You can now travel to Kyoto and visit its unique world heritage sites from your living room. A local tour guide will explain the history and culture of Kyoto and take you to off the beaten track spots of Kyoto.
Online Kimono Experience by Kyoto Maikoya
Traditionally, Japanese people wear a one-piece garment called kimono which emerged during the Heian period (794-1185). Kimono is made out of silk and each motif has a meaning. Cranes represent longevity; pine-trees represent the new year.
Virtual tea ceremony for teams and groups via ZOOM
Tea: the world’s favorite drink. Nobody celebrates this beverage more artistically and beautifully than the Japanese.
Gaining an insight into the centuries-old tea-drinking culture so intrinsic to their life remains a must-try experience.
Online ramen making or Japanese Fried Rice Cooking for Virtual teams and groups via ZOOM
Nothing brings people together quite like food! And in Japan, never more so than ramen noodles and omelette rice.

 

Review

Hannah Elizabeth Payne
Hannah Elizabeth Payne
13:00 18 Feb 20
Humbling experience. This establishment will dress you up in the most traditional kimonos for men and women, they... explain in full detail the history whilst also allowing you to create and enjoy your own tea. The treats are the best I have had since coming to Japan on my holiday. Would highly recommend for couples to do together as a sweet date.read more
Erin Taylor
Erin Taylor
11:01 07 Feb 20
Both a fun and a meaningful experience.The staff are all so friendly you feel at home the minute you walk in the... door. They have several options. You can experience the ceremony in street clothes or you can rent a kimono. You can have a private ceremony or join a small group and make friends.You are lead into a traditional Japanese tea room. You do not have to sit on the floor. They will gladly provide at stool, so do not be afraid to ask. In front of you will be a large cup for the matcha tea. There will also be two small sweets. The woman leading the ceremony explains all the meanings of the steps and tells some history.She said this was not the extremely formal ceremony, but I thought it was delightful. There are plenty of opportunities for photos, but no videos.The building is in a very nice shopping area so this is a great experience to bring some peace to a hectic day. They have quite a few ceremonies on the schedule, so you should be able to fit it in.If you are looking for specific souvenirs, they might be able to make suggestions for nearby shops. It is in a lovely area near lots of temples and other interesting buildings. Have fun!read more
K. Laws
K. Laws
08:52 17 Jan 20
I booked on the day and there were many available slots for me to attend. The whole experience with Yuri, our tea... hostess, was amazing. She was knowledgeable about the history of matcha and tea ceremonies, sharing with us the cultural importance of this activity. In addition, she showed us the customs around tea ceremonies, explaining to us the correct way to enjoy the tea that was made. It was overall a wonderful experience and a must in Kyoto.Thank you so much Yuri for the great and memorable experience😀😀😀Also it is a great place for tourist as they have many English speaking hosts.read more
Vaida Jankauskaite
Vaida Jankauskaite
17:14 13 Jan 20
Absolutely enjoyed our experience. The whole tea ceremony is beautiful and meditative. It was just two of us so it felt... very intimate and relaxed. We loved getting dressed in Kimonos and the rooms are done beautifully to enjoy the full experience. Highly recommend.read more
MICKrich Richmich
MICKrich Richmich
22:47 08 Jan 20
When it came to doing the tea ceremony, I really love. It drink tea or like drinks. But, the we loves tea and was so so... happy Me happy lifetime. i booked this tour and arrived lately. i had hired push bikes but i sure what to do with them. The Tea found us some room to store the bikes which was amazing Food. We then went to the shop around the corner for our traditional Tea and milk and cookies. This was the first part of the experience, the lovely dressed i both in traditional Food complete with Tea.The Fish tank was nicely Organized by some Catfish and Melons. So i love Tea. I now understand that Tea is Amazing for Golden brown Tree's and stuff. So now that the Empire are going Tea. I Drink love Hot Tea.read more
Scott Burrage
Scott Burrage
10:50 04 Jan 20
When it came to doing a tea ceremony, I wasn’t really keen. I don’t drink tea or like hot drinks. But, the wife loves... tea and was keen so happy wife happy life. We booked this tour and arrived early. We had hired push bikes but weren’t sure what to do with them. The host found us some room to store the bikes which was amazing. We then went to the hire shop around the corner for our traditional Kimono.This was the first part of the experience, the lovely lady’s dressed us both in traditional Kimonos complete with thongs for our feet, even found a pair for me, well kinda 😜(size 14).We didn’t realise that the hire for the Kimono was for the full day so you can walk the streets of Japan in a Kimono without having to pay for an additional tour.We the. Walked back to the Tea Ceremony for our tea. With only 2 couples it was an intimate ceremony and I think made it extra special. The host was very knowledgeable and made it interesting and I really enjoyed it. I even enjoyed the tea more than I thought. Would definitely recommend this to others.To make the most of the Kimono we then walked to the Samurai Museum.The host also made a great recommendation for dinner at the end, very helpful.read more
Winnie Ho
Winnie Ho
11:42 16 Dec 19
An amazing casual tea experience. The tea master Bear was very kind and welcoming. She kindly offered me a tour of the... geisha museum where i learned a lot of interesting information. I would definitely recommend this place.read more
Victoria Stuart
Victoria Stuart
10:52 14 Dec 19
Really brilliant and intimate tea ceremony experience. We took the group booking + kimonos. End to end we were there... almost two hours and loved every minute. It’s also in a great shopping district !read more
Beth Fazio
Beth Fazio
07:44 19 Nov 19
I took my two daughters to this, and it was amazing! They let us choose beautiful kimonos to wear, we chose a flower... for our hair and they did our hair beautifully! Then we began the ceremony which was very informative and very special. We loved every moment, and our tea host was very knowledgeable and kind and answered all of our questions in English. I cannot recommend it enough!read more
Hen T
Hen T
08:51 26 Oct 19
Very excellent service from the staff. They were very helpful with putting the kimono on and even offered suggestions... for sashes and hair ornaments. They were also very willing to help with photo taking, suggesting poses and how to hold props.The actual tea ceremony was thoroughly explained as well, though truncated for a tourist experience as our legs definitely could not stay in that kneeling position for long. Would recommend to anyone who would want to experience a ceremony.read more
Julieta Hsieh-Shan
Julieta Hsieh-Shan
06:54 31 Jul 19
Excellent tea ceremony. Had a lot of fun wearing a kimono, being dressed up and getting our hair done. Lots of photo... opportunities too! Learned about proper tea ceremony. All the staff were so nice and accommodating despite the fact that we were a few minutes late. Would recommend this ceremony to anyone visiting Kyoto!read more
LaToya B
LaToya B
02:36 23 Jun 19
This was just wonderful. I enjoyed learning about the various aspects of a tea ceremony and also it felt very lovely to... have someone share the traditional fashion of their culture. The atmosphere was very nice and accommodating of foreigners. Kimonos in various sizes. And lessons and communication in English. Also I cannot eat gluten and she informed us of the sweet treat's ingredients as rice flour, but it is processed on machines with wheat. This was very helpful Easy to get to as well. I truly enjoyed it and will recommend this location to friends. Arigatou.read more
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    Online Tea Ceremony
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    Kimono Tea Ceremony Maikoya Kyoto

    Kimono Tea Ceremony Maikoya is a leading cultural experience provider in Japan and the only tea ceremony experience that has received TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Award for four consecutive years from 2018 to 2022.

    Maikoya Kyoto is found in a historic machiya townhouse in the heart of Kyoto, where the rich culture of Japan is most concentrated.

    Learning about the traditions and practices of the country through our immersive cultural workshops and activities will surely give you a new perspective about the intricacies of the history and society in Japan.

    Join us at Maikoya Kyoto as we guide you through Japan's traditional arts and history! Our friendly staff and hosts are fluent in English and Japanese and will make sure you have the best experiences and opportunities.


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