EN CHAKAI 円茶会

The ceremony

This is not a tourist demo.

The ceremony you'll attend is the same one Japanese guests attend. Same temae, same wagashi, same utensils, same Urasenke form our host has practiced for twenty-five years. We host it in English — that's the only thing we changed.

The same ceremony, hosted in English.

Many tea experiences in Tokyo are shortened or simplified for visitors. We don't do that. What you'll see is what a Japanese guest would see in a Japanese tea room — the real form, the real pace, the real silences. The host simply narrates in English so you can follow along.

Ichi-go ichi-e, at En-an

The taste of tea ceremony

Two sessions daily — 11:00 and 14:00 · 2–6 guests · ¥10,000 per person. The 14:00 session follows the same flow.

  1. 11:00

    Yoritsuki — the waiting room

    • Purify your hands.
    • Put on white tabi socks — clean feet for a sacred space.
    • Sign your name; taking up the brush shifts you into the right frame of mind.
    • View the hanging scroll in the waiting room — your first invitation toward the tea room.
    • Leave anything unnecessary behind. All you carry in is kaishi paper, a fukusa cloth, and a folding fan.
  2. 11:20

    Sekiiri — entering the tea room

    • A bow at the threshold — a quiet “I will now come in.”
    • View the scroll and the day's setting, then take your seat; there is a way of walking and of looking.
    • The scroll is explained — the theme of the day.
    • The setting is explained.
  3. 11:30

    Usucha — thin tea

    • Seasonal sweets are served, from a tray or individually.
    • Thin tea is served, with a quiet guide to how it is received.
    • A closer look at the tea bowl, the natsume (tea caddy), and the chashaku (tea scoop).
  4. 12:00–12:30

    A gentle close

    • We finish somewhere between 12:00 and 12:30, depending on the group.
Tokonoma alcove with chabana

What to expect

  • Hosted in English

    Welcome, narration, and Q&A in English. Japanese is fine too.

  • No kimono provided

    Wear what you came in. Light socks help — guests sit on tatami.

  • Photography is welcome

    Quietly, between movements. The host will tell you when.

  • Card payment in JPY

    Visa, Master, Amex, JCB via Stripe. We send the link in the confirmation email.

What's included

The Tea Ceremony

Welcome usucha and koicha tasting, two seasonal wagashi, utensil appreciation, and Q&A with the host.

$70USD

≈ ¥10,000 JPY · per person

  • ·60 min
  • ·Up to 6 guests
  • ›Usucha and koicha (thick matcha) tasting
  • ›Two seasonal wagashi
  • ›Tea utensil appreciation
  • ›Q&A with the host
Reserve

per person