夢館 御池別邸 Yumeyakata Oikebettei — Local services in Kyoto

If you are looking for an authentic and heartfelt introduction to the Japanese tea ceremony, I cannot recommend this tea ceremony class in Kyoto highly enough.

A big, heartfelt thank you to Aya sensei, and also to her wonderful English interpreter. We had the most incredible experience - and to add to our luck, due to a cancellation, we had it all to ourselves.

From the moment we arrived, Professor Aya welcomed us with such warmth and kindness, instantly putting us at ease.

Despite being complete beginners, and feeling a bit awkward in our rental kimonos, we never felt out of place—on the contrary, she made us feel proud of each small step we took, guiding us with patience, grace, and deep reverence for tradition.

Aya sensei’s expertise is evident in her incredibly graceful movements, and her spiritual approach to the ceremony added a profound sense of meaning to the experience. It was more than just a lesson; it was a moment of mindfulness, beauty, and quiet...

We arrived at the tea ceremony in a beautiful machiya. We were a little early, and the staff offered us photos in the house and garden, and they even provided props like a parasol and a katana.

After the other guests arrived—there were four of us in total—the tea ceremony began. The tea master explained everything in Japanese, and an interpreter translated into English. First, the tea master prepared a cup of tea. Then it was our turn. Everyone prepared a cup of tea for the person sitting next to us in a circle.

In addition to preparing the tea, we were also taught proper etiquette.

After the tea ceremony, we had another opportunity to take photos in the house. Photography was also permitted throughout the entire tea ceremony.

All in all, it was a truly wonderful experience that I highly recommend to anyone interested in...

We took the wedding photos there last week. All the staff are very professional with excellent customer service. The whole crew (including the photographer, dresser and make-up artist) are attentive, and thank you for taking care of us. This historic photo studio is very fascinating. It only took few days to receive the whole file of the photos. We love it a lot. All photos are very amazing and delicate. The price is reasonable, we spent a half day for shooting wedding photos there. Highly recommended. We will visit...