Tea Ceremony Class in Odawara: Learn to Make Matcha

Prepare matcha yourself and taste what you've made

A tea ceremony class at a traditional Japanese inn in Odawara where you learn matcha preparation from an Urasenke instructor, watch a full ceremony, and make your own tea to drink. The class includes traditional Japanese sweets from a long-established local confectionery and runs about an hour with instruction in English or Japanese. Children are welcome from age 10.

The experience

The class takes place in a room inside a 100-year-old inn that still operates as a working hotel, so you're learning in an actual setting where the tea ceremony belongs rather than in a studio or museum space. An Urasenke instructor walks you through the ritual step by step: the history woven into each movement, the reason for each tool, the discipline that turns preparation into art. You'll watch the instructor perform a full ceremony and receive matcha served by their hands, then move through the motions yourself, making tea that you taste immediately after.

Traditional Japanese sweets from a confectionery in Odawara arrive with the tea, the kind made to complement the bitterness of matcha. You'll drink two cups total: the instructor's first, then your own. The whole experience runs about an hour, which is long enough to absorb the basics without rushing, but short enough to fit into a day exploring the castle town. A guide speaks English or Japanese depending on the group.

What’s included

• Two cups of matcha.
• traditional Japanese sweets and dried confectionery from a local Odawara shop.
• instruction from an Urasenke tea ceremony instructor.
• use of the inn's tea room.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday and FridayDeparts at 13:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (20 to 75 years) · Youth (10 to 19 years) · Under 10: can't be booked

GroupUp to 4

Live guideEnglish and Japanese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 14 days ago

Good to know

Public transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by 茶道体験『夏』

Is this one for you?The class asks you to sit on the floor and move deliberately through the ceremony steps, so it suits travelers comfortable with a slower pace and Japanese-style seating. The hour-long format fits easily into a morning or afternoon in Odawara without dominating the day.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Japanese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (10 to 19 years). Children under 10 can't be included in the booking.

What exactly do I learn to do in this tea ceremony class?

You learn to prepare matcha from an Urasenke instructor, starting with how to whisk the powder into hot water and moving through the full sequence of the ceremony. The instructor demonstrates first, then guides you through making your own tea to drink.

What's included in the class besides the instruction?

The class includes two cups of matcha and traditional Japanese sweets from a long-established Odawara confectionery. The first cup is prepared by the instructor. The second is the tea you make yourself.

How long does the tea ceremony class take?

The class runs about an hour, which covers the instructor's demonstration, your own preparation, and time to sit and taste what you've made.