VISIT KANAZAWA, JAPAN - Official Travel Guide

"The Tea ceremony" is more than having a cup of tea.

"The Tea Ceremony" has been systematized by Japanese hospitality, culture by incorporating various aesthetic elements. 

When you put yourself in the tea room with traditional Japanese kimono , all five senses come to life.

The tea ceremony (Cha no Yu no Michi), embodies the unique Japanese style, aesthetic sense, combined with the spiritual background of Zen, refined by the sensibilities of sparseness and silence.

Machiyajuku, is a renovated 100-year-old Kanazawa old house. The tea room on the second floor is called Koshian. Entering the Koshian you are transformed by flowers and hanging shafts, movements in front of the tea, the warmth and softness of the tea bowl that you feel on your hands and lips, the sound of hot water (pine wind) and the sound of pouring water, the aroma and taste of tea. By fully engaging the five senses, you will be led to a world that is comfortable both physically and mentally.

【Experience Timeline】

① Clothes fitting (about 30 minutes)

② How to enter the tearoom:

Walking patterns, paying attention to the room’s decoration, looking at the utensils etc.（about 10 minutes）

③ Explanation of the flow of the tea ceremony:

How to greet, handle utensils, have tea ceremony sweets and tea etc. (about 40 minutes)

※Please ask chairs if you feel too hard to sit on Tatami for long time.

【How to go to Machiyajuku】 map 

 1-34-6 higashiyama kanazawa

From kanazawa st. about 30min. by walk 

Bus  please  ask the bus  to higashi chaya district 

Bus  10min  then  walk 5min.

★Request★

◎Before entering a tea room,　please remove any accessories such as watches,　

bracelets and rings before taking your seat.

This is to prevent damage to the tea bowl.

◎Please bring white socks or white tabi socks. 

We would appreciate it if you could change into them before entering the tea room.

The reason for changing socks is that the tea room is a sacred & pure space

and because tea bowls and other items will be placed directly on the tatami mats,

we want to keep the tatami mats clean.

We are looking forward to seeing you.

 

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【Visitor`s Comment 】

※We loved the tea ceremony so much! We learned a lot about the culture. You were so kind, patient and lovely.

We felt completely at ease. We will recommend this to everyone coming to Japan. Thank you all ♡♡♡　（A.H.様）

※We had a  wonderful time. Thank you for sharing your culture with us！　It was the best part of our trip！（S.C様）

※So amazing！　Everyone should do this when visiting Kanazawa！ Thank you!!   （O.C 様） 

※A genuine experience with very kind teachers, beautiful clothes and tea. (A.M様）

※A beautiful experience. We learned so much and are so grateful for such expert and kind teachers .

We will never forget it.(H.G.様）

※Thank you very much for learning us a lot about and how to do a tea ceremony. We felt very welcome and learned a lot. 

※Thank you very much for the beautiful tea ceremony, it was a real pleasure to share this special time with you.(C.C様）

※Amazing experience we will never forget. Thank you! (M.K.様）

※Ocha wa oishi desu. （W.M.様）

※Very nice and interesting!  Tasty, quiet, calm and elegance. 

Nice to know about tea ceremony. Very kind treatment and master.（P.B様）

※We were really excited to do the tea ceremony!! (V.Z様)

※This is fantastic experience of Japanese Tea ceremony. Thank you.(M.D様）

※Wonderful ceremony. we learned the traditional way of enjoying match, very beautiful.(I.A.様）

※Thank you very much! It was very interesting and we enjoyed it very much! (O.H.様）

※We are very excited to experience a traditional tea ceremony in such a beautiful setting. Thank you for answering it at such a short notice.(J &E様）

※This was a beautiful experience, and not too long for children(They loved it a lot)! Thank you so much!(K.M.様）

※This was　an excellent experience, learning about the tea ceremony. The tea tasted so good and wearing the kimono was very very fun. 

Thank you Chika very much! (H.S.様）

※I like the experience of the old Japanese culture.（I.W様）

※Very kind, very nice and interesting　experience (M.W.様）

※One of the most remarkably preserved historical town areas of the city and its whole region, Higashi Chaya District, the

“Eastern teahouse district” exudes a uniquely fin de siècle atmosphere. One could easily spend hours rambling around in

this unchanged floating world of narrow alleys, daydreaming of wealthy merchants, idle gentry and samurais, the so-called

elite of the time, chasing after distractions in half-lit rooms, dazzled by endlessly pouring alcohol and the gentle moves of

geishas performing songs and dances in their fancy kimonos. Nostalgia is everywhere around, flowing through the lattices

and facades of the district’s uncountable wooden houses...

Straying away from the district’s main street, the alleys gradually become empty of tourists. That’s where you will find

MachiyaJuku, one of the many well-preserved traditional townhouses that are open to the public. The elegant MachiyaJuku

allows you to immerse yourself in the refinement of those long-gone days by attending a comprehensive experience

open to everyone, regardless of age and gender. After having chosen from a large collection of splendid outfits, and putting

on the kimono that matches your taste, you are invited to an in-depth experience of one of the cores of Japanese’s traditional

culture, the tea ceremony.

Steps, gestures, attitudes, utensils and also the spoken words, the traditional tea ceremony is a masterpiece of codes,

symbolics and refinement that will no longer hold any secrets from you. Beyond the cultural interest of an utterly authentic

experience, the delightful moments spent on the tatami mats of Machiyajuku might just be the best way to make your visit

to Higashi Chaya District one of the most endurable memories of your trip in Kanazawa!