Tag Archives : authentic

Enjoy Wagashi Making with Uji Matcha Tea in Tokyo We welcomed twin sisters from Israel today at our Wagashi making workshop. They decided to spend some time in Japan before going off to college. Their classes will start next month and they will major in Biology at the same college. The sisters seem to get along well and were smart and pleasant to talk to. We had a wonderful time having them as they are our first guests from Israel. The chat after the workshop was fun and informative as we talked about our respective countries. There is a military […]

Tour Report – Oct. 9th, 2017

  Hosts go through many preparations to ready the tea ceremony room for the guests. An important step is to select a hanging scroll which adorns the “tokonoma” or an alcove of the tea ceremony room that is considered as the most honored space. Hanging scrolls are generally written by monks with experience or calligraphers using Zen words or classical Chinese poems. Hosts choose the appropriate writing to express their message for the guests. The messages are normally very simple but they can leave vast space for interpretation. Each guest is allowed to appreciate in his/her own way. A very […]

The main attraction in the tea ceremony is a hanging ...

Chrysanthemum represents the royal family in Japan. It is used as the design on the buttons for the members of parliament as well as on the cover of Japanese passports. It is considered as a noble flower and used at special events. Wagashi that resemble the seasonal flowers are often served at tea ceremony. This season, it is the chrysanthemum. Such fine techniques of making Wagashi have developed in parallel with the tea ceremony.   Mat-Cha-Doh offers classes in small sizes where you will have fun learning the techniques of Wagashi Making.  Please refer to our tour report:  https://goo.gl/c563RU  Detail […]

The main motif of fall/winter in Wagashi (Japanese sweets) Making ...

  This workshop offers an authentic Japanese kaiseki meal followed by tea ceremony, a representation of Japanese culture. In this workshop, guests are served “Cha-kaiseki” a formal Japanese coursed meal prior to the tea ceremony. By choosing the appropriate ingredients and the cooking method, hosts prepare the guests for the intense tea later. The main dish of the course is “Nimono-wan”, a simmered dish. A refined dish which illustrates the season in a beautiful bowl. The broth is subtly flavored to enhance the flavor of the main ingredients and warms your stomach. The most popular “Nimono-wan” of the season is […]

Tea Ceremony Experience; Enjoy the Fall in Japan which is ...

Green Tea and Wagashi Delights in Tokyo   We welcomed two American ladies from Missouri today. They are both colleagues and friends. They especially enjoyed trying their own hand at preparing a bowl of matcha tea for each other at the end of the tea ceremony. “Terrible!” They joked at each other’s tea while still finishing their entire bowls. Their thoughtfulness in both preparing and enjoying the tea with each other embodied the spirit of the tea ceremony and left a warm impression on us.   If you are interested in this post, please check below! Green Tea and Wagashi […]

Tour Report – Sep. 23rd, 2017

  Each season in Japan is widely appreciated for their respective beauty, and is an essential part of Japanese culture. An excellent example of this appreciation is seen in traditional Japanese sweets. They boast health benefits due to ingredients such as beans, starch, sugar and they rarely feature dairy. Its gentle sweetness goes well with green tea and are widely used at tea ceremony. Not only do they taste delicious, but the designs and colors are very sweet as well! Guests take home sweets prepared in class. Mat-Cha-Doh offers small size classes to make these sweets with detailed instructions.   […]

Traditional Japanese Sweets: Delectable and Artistic, An Expression of the ...