Tokyo Tea Ceremony Workshop: Learn Matcha from Expert

Experience mindful tradition with cherry-blossom tea and authentic Japanese sweets.

A tea ceremony workshop in Tokyo where you learn to prepare matcha under instruction from Mika Soka Haneishi, a first-degree instructor at Shizu-Kokoro, a school licensed from Urasenke in Kyoto. The 90-minute session includes a video introduction to chado's history, a hands-on lesson in making usucha (thin matcha), tastings of koicha (strong matcha) and sakura tea, traditional Japanese confections, and time in the tea room itself. The workshop runs in English or Japanese, and children from age 5 are welcome.

The experience

You arrive at the tea room in central Tokyo and begin with sakura tea, a cherry-blossom welcome drink, followed by a 10-minute video on chado's roots in Zen and its place in Japanese culture over the past 400 years. The instructor then walks you through the tea room itself, a space built for mindfulness, before you taste a traditional Japanese confection and sit in meditation.

The formal part comes next: you watch the instructor perform the ceremony for koicha, the strong matcha tea that samurai drank, and taste it yourself. Then you learn about tea bowls from different regions (how their shapes change the flavor and the experience) before moving into the hands-on lesson. You make a bowl of usucha, the thin matcha with thick foam, using the tools and techniques the instructor demonstrates. Dry sweets come before you drink what you've made.

The workshop lasts 90 minutes total and includes two kinds of matcha tea, sakura tea, and three kinds of Japanese confections. You'll need to bring socks (no bare feet in the tea room), but you don't have to sit in seiza (the formal kneeling position). The instructor can provide a chair if sitting on the tatami mat doesn't work for you. Let them know about any food allergies or dietary needs when you book.

What’s included

• A cup of sakura (cherry-blossom) tea.
• two kinds of matcha tea: koicha and usucha that you make yourself.
• three kinds of traditional Japanese confections.
• instruction from a first-degree instructor licensed from Urasenke Chado School in Kyoto.
• and 90 minutes in a working tea room.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to SaturdayDepartures at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (20 to 59 years) · Senior (60 to 90 years) · Youth (11 to 19 years) · Child (5 to 10 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupUp to 10 · max 6 per booking

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.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by 静心

Is this one for you?If you speak English or Japanese comfortably, you'll follow the instructor's explanation and hands-on guidance without translation delays. The workshop is built for first-timers with no prior tea ceremony experience, so prior knowledge isn't required. Just bring socks and a willingness to sit and focus for 90 minutes.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Japanese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (11 to 19 years); Child (5 to 10 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What exactly is koicha and how is it different from the usucha I'll make?

Koicha is the strong, thick matcha tea traditionally drunk by samurai. The instructor prepares it in a formal ceremony and you taste it. Usucha is the thin matcha with a thick foam on top that you'll learn to make yourself during the hands-on lesson.

Do I have to sit in the traditional seiza position on the tatami mat?

No. You can sit however is comfortable for you, and if sitting on the tatami mat isn't possible, the instructor will provide a chair so you can still participate fully in the tea room.

What's included in the 90 minutes, and will I actually drink what I make?

The workshop includes sakura tea as a welcome drink, a video introduction, time in the tea room, meditation, a formal koicha ceremony, a hands-on lesson in making usucha, traditional Japanese confections, and tastings of both koicha and the usucha you prepare.

How do I get to the tea room, and where exactly is it located?

The tea room is in central Tokyo with public transportation options nearby. The address is 2-3-12 (note that some maps may show 2-3-3, but 2-3-12 is the correct location).