Even if you are yet to set foot in Japan or know exactly what’s this most Japanese of rituals, there’s a good chance you’re aware of the tradition of tea ceremonies. Referred to as ‘sado’ or ‘chado’ in Japanese, tea ceremony is a true performance provided in honour of the guest with every feature of the experience considered and meaningful. A full tea ceremony can last hours however the most contemporary, popular ceremonies are shorter at one to two hours in length. During a tea ceremony the tea master will typically serve a traditional Japanese sweet in combination with their studied preparation of the tea for you to consume. Every aspect of the ceremony has meaning with the setting – typically conducted on a ‘tatami’ floor in a traditional room and often looking onto a garden – designed to imbue the entire experience with tranquillity and meditative quality.

Kyoto is one of the most popular places in Japan for visitors to experience tea ceremony and should you wish to do so, ceremonies conducted by Kimono Tea Ceremony Maiko Kyoto are highly-rated. Experiences are available all year round in both English and Japanese and last around 1.5 hours and include traditional ‘kimono’ for the guest. For more information including booking options, click on the button below. Please note, Snow Monkey Resorts has no connection with this experience and cannot comment on its content or suitability.