Private Chanoyu Experience in Genso-an
Genso-an is the name of a traditional Kimono fabric merchant townhouse having the history over 130 years, located in the center of Kyoto city, 4 mins walk from Shijo and Karasuma station.
The house has been lovingly kept by the Hirota family for their merchant house over a century.
Thanks to their very careful care including everyday cleaning and continuous maintenance repairing, the old residence build with the traditional carpentry work, has been kept beautifully even today.
About Hirota family and the Kimono fabric company➡ HIROTA TSUMUGI
The Okuzashiki Washitsu room * the summer arrangement with Sudare shade scrolls and Ajiro floor covers
Hirota Tsumugi has been known for the highest quality Tsumugi fabric wholesaler in Kyoto and still being the leading wholesaler of high-end Kimono fabrics for the authentic Kimono stores across Japan.
Experience Kyoto & the Way of Tea in Genso-an
Inside this cultural heritage, alongside relaxing with the traditional atmosphere, you can enjoy tea hospitality and private Chanoyu experience.
We use our selected Uji Macha delivered directly from a tea farmer which doesn’t hit the market, served together with traditional Wagashi sweets made by long-standing confectionaries in Kyoto. The Chanoyu firsthand try-out experience includes not only making a bowl of tea by yourself, but also the formal basic etiquettes of how to bow, use chopsticks, walk on the tatami mat or way of eating sweets. These are the common formal manners in Japan at the same time, and starting from imitating the movements would make you feel more connected to Chanoyu and Japanese traditional culture.
The procedures of Chanoyu, the Japanese old wisdom of a spiritual and aesthetical discipline, requires us to use all five senses for the refinement of “hospitality”. That is a traditional Japanese way of thinking and enhancing social relationships, friendships and communications, and hope you feel it through the experience in Gensoan where Chanoyu was actually an important part of life and way of fostering a good relationship between family, relatives, neighbors and business partners. Hope you gain a new appreciation for the charm of Japanese traditional culture in Kyoto.
The view form the tearoom. The tearoom is located at the foremost back of the Genso-an house. Very quiet, secluded traditional space, where you may not be able to image yourself being in the middle of the bustling Kyoto city area.
The roji passage, garden path to enter the authentic tearoom. Walking through the Roji symbolizes a passage from ordinary life space to sacred extraordinary tea ceremony space.
Most of the utensil collections have been passed down from the past generation, and the arrangement differs depending on the season.
The Jizo statue carved stone lantern placed inside the garden. The Kyoto-style merchant houses, called Kyo-machiya, has the same structure more or less. But the ornamentations and detailed design inside the house, reflects the taste of the house owner.
The tranquil moment of drinking fresh-brewed Matcha. We use our selected Uji-Matcha delivered directly from a tea maker. The tea producer was traditionally hidden and confidential in each household.
Traditional Wagashi sweets will be served before drinking a tea, which soften the bitterness and accentuates the pure taste of Matcha leaf. The seasonal sweets we select are made by long-standing confectionaries in Kyoto. You can try two different types of Wagashi in the session.
Tea ceremony experience summary
・ 1 ~ 6 people Maximum
・ Adult rate (16,000JPY) applies to people aged 12 and over
*Children rate (8,000JPY) applies to those who are under 11
・ Payment acceptable by Cash or Credit card on the day when you visited us
・ Cancel policy: 100% for the cancellation on the day, no charge until the day before cancellation
・ You can send us the reservation request from below
・Contact us for any inquiries Email: kyoto.gensouan@gmail.com
RESERVATION REQUEST
We also offer Ikabana & tea ceremony experience, which you can book the experience from Wabunka web page as below.
WABUNKA
