さくら日本文化体験 二条城教室 / SAKURA Experience Japanese Culture Nijo Home — Local services in Kyoto

Amazing experience

After my fabulous experience of Kazari Maki Sushi and Bento cooking at SAKURA last year, I introduced the courses to my friends. Hence, we organised a trip last month to visit SAKURA and decided not only to attend the cooking course but also to include the tea ceremony class.

All seven of my lady friends attended the classes. Before we started, we each chose a beautiful kimono and matching hair accessories to wear during the lessons. We all looked very elegant wearing the traditional Japanese clothing which helped us entered into the spirit of the event.

Aya and her husband Manabu were very knowledgeable and patient in teaching us the steps and which points to note when preparing for the tea ceremony as well as its history and application. Although we were a big group, we were all given an opportunity to try every step of the ceremony after Aya and Manabu had demonstrated them. We therefore could see each step eight times. I can remember clearly each part of the ceremony after so many demonstrations. I must also mention that the matcha was the most tasteful I have ever tasted.

We then turned to Kazari Maki Sushi. All the ingredients were well prepared and Aya taught us step by step how to prepare the sakura sushi so that it looked and tasted as though a professional had made it, not we inexperienced students.

Aya was very patient, knowledgeable, friendly and presented the lessons in a precise, clear and professional manner. The studio was very pleasant, light, spacious, clean and tidy. The classes were full of fun making the experience really very special and an insight into the world of Japanese culture. After the lesson, we all took photographs wearing the kimonos we all looked lovely and professional. We all had a great enjoyable time there.

We were each awarded a certificate of completion after the classes and were given recipes with the history and details of the preparation steps so that we could practice what we learnt at home. It was all absolutely splendid and excellent value.

Aya emailed many of the photos taken during the classes. It was really great to keep that precious moment thanks to Aya’s kindness and consideration.

Aya and Manabu were very hospitable. They introduced sight-seeing places and local restaurants to us. Finally, after the classes we all had a great night with delicious food at a recommended local restaurant, all thanks to Aya’s good recommendation.

SAKURA offers a variety of classes and experiences in cooking, the tea ceremony, music, calligraphy etc. which helps in getting to know more about Japanese culture and traditions. If anyone wants to do something special and really wishes to experience Japanese culture during a holiday in Kyoto, I strongly recommend SAKURA. You will find it good value and an amazing experience. I am looking forward to my next trip and to attending more...

Of all the tea ceremony experiences I saw for Kyoto, I can’t believe how much we lucked out in choosing this one!!

Aya and her husband were incredibly cordial hosts whose backgrounds in Japanese tea making are surely rivaled by few in the area. They are both still actively learning about the rituals involved - needless to say they were able to educate us in a truly informative and comprehensive way about the history and customs of the matcha ceremony.

First, we watched, tasted, and experienced the tea ceremony as guests of our hosts (all while dressed to the nines in kimonos of our choosing - Aya even beautifully arranged my wife’s hair with braids and flowers in seconds flat!). Then, we became the “hosts” as we prepared the tea ourselves, which was an excellent way to appreciate the deliberate, painstaking care that Aya and her husband provide to their guests during the ceremony. The Japanese term “kodawari” (the uncompromising and relentless pursuit of perfection) definitely came to mind when watching them work!

To top it all off, our hosts took photos and videos of the entire experience the whole time, and they shared it with us at the end so that we could live in the moment during the ceremony and not worry about the distraction of capturing it on our phones.

We then had the opportunity to ask questions about the history of the Japanese tea ceremony, to chat about other Kyoto recommendations, and to get to know each other! All in all, this experience was unforgettable (and at an unbelievably reasonable price), and I hope to come back to Kyoto some time in the near future to have another amazing cultural experience with Aya and her husband.

PS - they recommended that we go to a flea market in a Buddhist temple nearby that is only held once per month, and we ended up running into them there a few hours later! That way we knew their recommendations were not just for tourists, but also some things that they themselves do as natives of Kyoto. It was so cool (and unexpected) to run into a friend into Japan! All thanks to this awesome...

This is a must do when you visit Kyoto. The hosts are extremely polite and welcoming. They taught us as much as possible (there’s a lot that goes into a traditional Tea Ceremony) and offered us the best Matcha Tea we’ve ever had.

Everything they offered us was specifically chosen for us by the hosts after they met us. Giving us a unique and wonderful experience. After we were done with the ceremony, they were kind enough to answer any questions we had (in general about Japanese culture) and pointed out must visit shops in the area.

You would be missing out big time if you ever visit Kyoto and don’t try this experience. They are giving you a chance to immerse yourself in one of Japan’s...