Article – Chanoyu (Japanese tea culture)

  “Chaji” is a tea gathering where the host serves seasonal food and sake to the guests. This is an expression of the thoughtfulness on the host’s part that the guests should “fill the stomach prior to taking matcha tea”. Sake can be an important aspect of tea gatherings. It helps to create a warm and familiar atmosphere. When selecting an appropriate brand of sake, the host normally considers the season, the taste, the origin, the brand and its rarity as he/she keeps the guests in mind. “Hiyaoroshi” is absolutely one of the best choices this season. This sake can […]

A Japanese Sake, ”HIYAOROSHI” – An essential for Gatherings at ...

  A Buddhist monk Eisai (1141～1215) brought back tea from China and spread the “tea culture” in Japan. It is said to be the beginning of “tea ceremony”. Eisai, a founder of Rinzai sect of Zen in Japan, wrote the first book specialized on the topic of tea. It is called “Kissa-yojoki (A Note on Drinking Green Tea for Good Health)” The book introduced the custom of drinking tea. Thus, he is known as the father of Japanese tea culture. When Eisai was training in China as a Zen monk, drinking tea was a popular custom. He learned the medicinal […]

Come experience an authentic tea ceremony which boasts a history ...

  Matcha is rich in an antioxidant substance called catechin. It helps us recover from fatigue quickly. Caffeine also contained in Matcha induces the release of dopamine and boosts energy. These nutrients can be effectively consumed as we take in the whole leaves of green tea in Matcha powder form. A perfect drink for summer and it is easy to prepare. The only tip is to make the tea strong and strain it to achieve smoothness. It freezes well, too. Try adding a drop of CALPIS or use carbonated water to give it a twist. Arrangement ideas are endless. Create […]

A Cold Matcha Drink on a Hot Summer Day!

  Let us introduce “hira chawan”, a tea bowl featured only in summer season. Sen-no-Rikyu, known as the Sage of Tea, succeeded in shaping the style of tea ceremony we see now. In his “Seven Rules of Tea”, the ultimate guide of entertaining guests, he states one of the rules is to “provide a sense of coolness in the summer and warmth in the winter” Imagine 400 years ago, when there was no air conditioner. It required utmost consideration to the weather when serving a bowl of tea at the best condition possible. Its spirit manifests in the style of […]

The spirit of hospitality dictated by the “Sage of Tea” ...

     The tearoom is down a narrow pathway surrounded by a bamboo fence, a rare space in Tokyo taking you back to the origins of the practice 600 years ago. The serene environment will bring you peacefulness as you savor a bowl of matcha green tea.   Please check: http://goo.gl/zEFQLw

Experience the hint of the countryside as you enjoy a ...

     Enjoy cooling down using all of your senses, in the midst of summer in Japan. In May, a hearth is replaced by a portable brazier (furo, 風炉) and the equipment are arranged for summer. During the cold months, a hearth is placed close to the guests where as in summer, the heat is positioned far from the guests. “Keep it cool in summer and warm in winter so that the host can offer tea to the guests in the best possible condition” is the principle passed on from our predecessors. We invite you to feel the coolness with […]

A hint of early summer enjoyed in our tea ceremony ...