Learn Zen in a Matcha Tea Class Near Osaka Castle

Overview

Experience the timeless tradition of tea ceremony Zen, a cornerstone of Japanese culture, and discover etiquette, graceful movements, and the spirit of heartfelt hospitality.

The tea ceremony embodies numerous Japanese elements, including the spirit of hospitality, the beauty of tea utensils, traditional manners, and exquisite Japanese sweets. The owner of the tea house will prepare and serve powdered green tea to the guests, who will be treated with hospitality as honored samurai guests. Of course, you will be dressed in kimono or samurai robes to complete the authentic experience!

Highlights

• The only place near Osaka Castle where you can experience such an immersive samurai tea ceremony
• Discover the profound charm of the samurai tea ceremony
• Learn etiquette, manners, and the spirit of hospitality
• Understand "wabi-sabi" and the Japanese appreciation of the four seasons through "wagashi" sweets
• Book with a Rakuten account to earn points for each reservation!

Important Information

Suitable for ages 6+

Please bring undershirts and underpants (t-shirts are acceptable) to wear as innerwear for hakama and kimono; we have a few innerwear available for loan, but sizes are limited

Staff who can speak two or three languages (English, Spanish, and Japanese) will provide interpretation

A welcome drink is provided: taste matcha, a traditional Japanese popular beverage (quench your thirst with iced green matcha during the summer months)

We provide a set of essential tools to enhance your samurai armor experience

What to Bring

Undergarments to wear beneath samurai outfit (e.g. t-shirt and underpants)

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Meeting Point

Samurai Honor, Excellence Takayama 1F

Venue Address

Excellence Takayama, 2-3-19 Shiginonishi, Joto-ku, Osaka-shi, Ōsaka Prefecture, Japan, 536-0014

Cancellation Policy

No-show: You pay 100% of experience price

Same day: You pay 100% of experience price

Previous day: Free cancellation

Description

"Tea Ceremony Zen" lives on in traditional Japanese culture. By learning the tea ceremony, you can expect many positive changes. Before the tea ceremony, you'll change into traditional Japanese clothes. Men will wear "hakama" (traditional Japanese male dress) and "dogi" (traditional Japanese robe) to become a samurai. Women will wear a kimono and become a "Yamato Nadeshiko" (an idealized Japanese woman).

The hostess will entertain guests following prescribed traditional manners. The tea ceremony master will prepare and serve "matcha" (powdered green tea) to the guests.

You will learn etiquette, manners, beautiful gestures, and the spirit of hospitality.

The tea ceremony is rooted in the attitude and idea that the host not only entertains, but the guests also respond, creating an atmosphere of togetherness. There are various rules for tea ceremony etiquette, such as how to serve tea, sit, bow, stand, and walk. Students learn these rules through practice. Once you pass through the "nijiriguchi" (entrance to the tea ceremony room), everyone, regardless of nationality, age, gender, or status, is treated equally.

Through wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets), students learn about "wabi-sabi" (the Japanese sense of beauty), the four seasons, and more. These sweets feature colorful designs and beautiful workmanship, created by craftspeople one by one. You can learn about Japanese history and culture. Wagashi, which developed alongside the tea ceremony in the Kamakura period, is a food unique to Japan. It is said to reflect the Japanese spirit of appreciating the four seasons and possess a beauty similar to "wabi-sabi". Studying wagashi allows students to understand the Japanese sense of beauty through exposure to Japanese history and culture. Through making sweets, you can learn about Japanese food culture.

They are too beautiful to eat! The first thing that strikes you when you are confronted with wagashi is how beautiful they look. They are filled with a delicate and gentle charm that is immediately recognizable as handmade, expressing the four seasons. They reflect the Japanese people's love of the four seasons and their sense of beauty. Wagashi cherish the seasons so much that one cannot talk about them without mentioning spring, summer, fall, and winter, and express the seasons in three elements.

You'll also understand that hospitality is not a one-way street. In "chanoyu" (the art of showing the utmost care and hospitality to guests), a high level of awareness is required of the guests as well. As a guest invited to the tea ceremony by the master, you will be treated with hospitality and experience the profound charm of the samurai tea ceremony.