Traditional Matcha Tea Ceremony in Kyoto (with Kimonos!)

Coffee lovers, tea lovers, and authentic experience lovers gather round for a traditional matcha ceremony in Kyoto! My sister is a matcha fanatic. In her eyes, being in Japan and not attending a tea ceremony would be an enormous mistake. Japan’s Uji region has the highest grade of matcha in the world. The region is located within the Kyoto district, making Kyoto the perfect place to learn about, and try traditional matcha.

Tea ceremony, things to do in kyoto, matcha tea

One of my favorite aspects of matcha is its “zen-ergy”. Rather than the energy and caffeine spike in coffee matcha has a sustained release. The slower release prevents a caffeine crash. For me, I love the lack of caffeine anxiety from drinking matcha. The spike in caffeine found in coffee gives me the jitters.

Maikoya kimono tea ceremony

Maikoya has two locations within Kyoto that offer the matcha ceremony.

*I would recommend the Gion Kiyomizu location due to its proximity to the famous Gion district and the famous Hokan-Ji Temple.*

A traditional tea ceremony is almost more of a learning experience because of how informational it is.

You begin by separating by gender, changing into beautiful traditional kimonos, and the women help teach you the importance of the order in which you don the kimono. For the women, after you put on your kimono, the ladies do your hair in a traditional design and add a flower.

You’ll head to the room where the ceremony takes place and reunite with the men. The men will now be donning their montsuki. A montsuki is the male equivalent to a kimono for traditional tea ceremonies.

We sat in a circle on our knees and learned the traditional bows to begin the ceremony. Our teacher for the ceremony, Yoko, was fantastic. She was incredibly informative, welcoming, kind and captivating.

We learned how important it is to be a good host, the steps to preparing the traditional matcha, and most importantly, how to use a chasen. The chasen is a beautiful bamboo whisk to froth your matcha.

Interesting matcha and tea ceremony facts

The traditional matcha ceremony and experience at Maikoya was a tremendous learning experience filled with tons of information and fun facts. Some of my personal favorites were:

Matcha Grades: Matcha is commonly categorized into one of three categories: ceremonial, premium and culinary. Each grade of matcha is determined by the quality, color, flavor and intended use. The taste, way its consumed best, color and nutrient content lowers as the grade categorization lowers. You will learn that ceremonial grade matcha is always consumed authentically – with only water. Premium matcha is commonly used in matcha lattes with milk. The culinary grade is predominately used in pastries.

Different Respectful Bows: There are three traditional bows. Each bow you perform is to show respect and good manners. The names of the bows that you’ll learn are: “Shin”, “Gyo” and “So”. The deeper the bow, the more respect. A deeper bow is important to show the host how gracious you are.

The Tokonoma: Arguably my favorite tradition of them all is the tokonoma. This is a small alcove in the tea ceremony room where the host prepares and decorates the area to make the guest feel welcome. Traditionally, the guest will hang a special scroll and add special items to the area. These items could be seasonal flowers, foods, and additional trinkets or artifacts that the host selects for the guest. This makes guests immediately feel welcome and appreciated by the host.

The takeaway

It is so special to have a learning experience while traveling because it both expands your horizon, and is respectful to the country you’re visiting. Learning helps you better understand the culture and traditions of the place you’re in. A traditional matcha ceremony in Kyoto should absolutely be on anyone and everyone’s travel bucket list.

Upon entering the building you’ll see a sign about the importance of their building. The building is at least 100 years old, and maintains its authentic atmosphere.

After the ceremony, we asked our teacher where to purchase her favorite matcha. She was incredibly excited to send us to her favorite store and even told her personal favorite varietal within the ceremonial grade certification.

*For more cooking and food learning experiences, click on any of the links below!*