Kimono Tea Ceremony & Zen Garden Tour at Kobe Sorakuen

Sorakuen has been known as one of the most beautiful Japanese gardens nationwide and registered as a place of scenic beauty by the Japanese government. Now the doors of Sorakuen is opening for those who wish to have an unforgettable Japanese experience right in the heart of Kobe. For a limited time only, Kimono Tea ceremony Kyoto Maikoya and Kobe City Tourism Bureau teamed up to offer the tranquil zen garden and a traditional tea ceremony experience at the picturesque and calming tea room of Sorakuen. This experience includes everything you may want to enjoy in Japan from kimono wearing to strolling scenic gardens and from participating in a local tradition to tasting Japanese sweets.

Your English speaking host will give you a short tour in this amazing Japanese garden and explain you the connection between zen and the Japanese gardens. She will then help you wear a beautiful kimono in a traditional way and also give you a matching hairstyle. Finally you will observe how your host perfectly and harmoniously use all the traditional utensils to make the perfect cup of tea in way that has been done the same for about 400 years. And, the best part, you will make your own tea and enjoy Japanese traditional sweets.

Your tea ceremony experience will include:

• An introduction to the Japanese tea ceremony and associated rituals
• This is taught by a friendly instructor who speaks English
• You will be encouraged to try traditional green matcha tea and Japanese styled sweets
• Only traditional tea ceremony utensils will be used
• The workshop will be taught to a small class of 6 or so people
• Relax in a classroom decorated in traditional Japanese décor and architecture
• Explanations of the ceremony’s history and technique in simple English
• Not only watching the demonstration but actually performing the ritual
• Friendly staff will help you chose the best kimono and wear it in a traditional way
• For ladies, we will give you the simple hairstyle matching with kimono
• If you are interested, many photo ops in front of a number of backdrops in our facility before or after the ceremony
• We also have tea ceremony artifacts and displays with detailed explanations in English that will help you better understand the subtle meanings and the rich history behind this unique tradition

Learn Japanese culture with all of your senses – especially your sense of wonder!

Just in case if you were wondering:

• You are allowed to take pictures in the tea ceremony room after the ceremony as well as the other parts of the garden
• You are allowed to sit comfortably on the floor (without sitting on your knees on the tatami mat). We also provide bamboo chairs for those who prefer not to sit on the floor
• This whole experience lasts about 90 minutes. The garden tour is relatively short as most of the time spent for tea ceremony and kimono dressing.