Tea Ceremony Ju-An — Attraction in Kyoto

since kyoto is all about temples, even my daily matcha tea session found its way into one today. normally one isn’t free to wander temple grounds as one pleases, much less sit down for an unsolicited cup of tea. so this time i joined a public event instead - tea ceremony in authentic setting was promised ❤️

although i usually try to avoid such tourist-heavy experiences, this one turned out to be very special. it was held at jotoku-ji, a small but beautifully preserved temple that is not normally open to public. the highlight for visitors is a side tea house, where the ceremony takes place in an intimate setting.

today the tea master and her assistant kate (who translated with unusual sophistication) introduced us not only to the history but also to the spirit of the japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu). unlike other ceremonies i’ve attended, where questions felt politely tolerated rather than truly welcomed, here we were actively encouraged to ask and engage.

one insight they shared struck me deeply: the japanese tea ceremony is not about pleasure or hedonism. unlike a casual tea gathering, chanoyu is about discipline, awareness and self-cultivation. the bitterness of ceremonial matcha is not meant to charm the palate — it is a reminder of life’s austerity and impermanence. even the strict postures, which challenge both body and patience, are designed to sharpen mindfulness. every gesture, every silence, and every exchange is a practice in presence.

this philosophy reflects zen principles at the core of chanoyu: simplicity, impermanence, humility and self-discipline. the four ideals of the tea ceremony — harmony (wa), respect (kei), purity (sei) and tranquility (jaku) — are less about enjoying a drink per se and more about cultivating a...

Just has the most amazing Tea Ceremony experience here 2 days ago! Maki san is an amazing host and explains not just the tea ceremony but also the history and Japanese culture very well.

They probably conduct multiple sessions everyday, but she still does it with so much passion, precision, and dedication! It is really impressive to see that.

Time totally flies by and we didn't realise an hour has already passed.

Please try a tea ceremony experience with Ju An, esp if you are new to Japanese culture! It is also reasonably priced. Highly recommend it!

Dont worry if google map brought you to a shrine, it is located inside the shrine - just enter via the main entrance.

p.s. we were late as the bus we were supposed to take were full and we had to take another longer route, but they were so kind to accommodate us at a later slot at 5pm. Really appreciate that ❤️

p.p.s. I would advise against going to Maikoya - another supposedly famous chain. Their customer service is terrible, totally didnt bother to respond at all. I truly wonder how would the ceremony be like if they cant even respond to something as...

The temple itself is close to down-town Kyoto. We got a small tour around the courtyard, where Masumi told us some more information about the customs and attributes associated with a typical Japanese temple. Next we were allowed to enter the building, where we sat down on the floor in the tea room and Masumi explained us everything we needed to know about a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. She first made us some tea, then told us about the meaning of the tools and gestures associated with the preparation of the tea and then let us taste some of the tea. In the last part of this activity we got to prepare or own bowl of tea and drink it after having some Japanese sweets first.

Masumi is a very kind host with plenty of experience in having (foreign) guests and we got to learn a lot about the traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. We highly recommend...