Kyoto: Private Tea Ceremony, Matcha & Ikebana in a Historic Machiya

Step away from Kyoto's busy attractions and discover authentic Japanese tea culture at Shizuhamo, a 100-year-old townhouse designated by Kyoto City as an Important Kyo-Machiya. This private 55-minute experience introduces the essentials of a traditional tea gathering (chaji), which normally lasts four hours or more. Explore historic tea rooms, handle authentic utensils, prepare your own matcha, and discover the philosophy behind Japanese hospitality. Your host, Takafumi Miyama, is a certified senior Urasenke tea instructor with 32 years of experience, a qualified Ikenobo ikebana instructor, and a former research scientist. He personally guides each experience in English or Japanese, explaining not only how tea ceremony is performed but also why its traditions developed. Explore two traditional tea rooms designed for different seasons, walk through a tea garden (roji), and enter the tea room through the small nijiriguchi doorway, symbolizing humility and equality. Discover the stone purification basin (tsukubai), traditional kettles, and the connection between tea architecture, nature, and Zen philosophy. Experience both koicha (thick matcha) and usucha (thin matcha) made with premium Uji matcha. Watch your instructor prepare rich, concentrated koicha, then learn to make your own usucha using a bamboo whisk, ladle, and authentic tea utensils. Enjoy seasonal Japanese sweets and a hands-on ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement) experience. The experience is reserved exclusively for your group, with a maximum of nine guests, allowing you to ask questions and enjoy personal interaction with your instructor. Located in Kyoto's Fushimi district, Shizuhamo is conveniently accessible from Fushimi Inari Shrine and Kyoto Station. No previous tea ceremony experience is required. Chairs are available for guests who prefer not to sit on tatami. More than a simple matcha tasting, this is an opportunity to experience and understand the traditions, aesthetics, and philosophy of Japanese tea culture.