PremiumTea Ceremony Experience

Gengen-Sai and the Affluent Merchant – A Tale of Tea

The premium tea ceremony experience entitled “Gengen-Sai and the Affluent Merchant – A Tale of Tea” takes place at the site where a pivotal part of tea ceremony history unfolded centuries ago.
articipants are invited to engage in one of Japan’s oldest forms of hospitality, the most official ceremony known as chaji, at the Takegawa Estate (otherwise known as the Izawa Library) where 7th generation Matsusaka merchant Takegawa Chikusai learned from 11th generation Urasenke Tea Master Gengen-Sai.

The distinct characteristics of the chaji ceremony are derived from the customs of zen temples, with a meal consisting of one bowl of soup and three side-dishes served with three types of sake, followed by one cup each of both thick and light tea. During our experience, guests are served reimagined menu consisting of one bowl of soup, five side-dishes, and two selections of sake.
We offer the rare opportunity to experience this unique composite of Japanese culture in a feast of the senses, with the sound of water droplets in stone basins resonating in the traditional garden “Roji” while incense wafts through the 300-year old tea room “Yosazura-en” adorned with tea scrolls where an array of ancient utensils are waiting to be examined.


Please feel free to contact us.
goshonomachi@matsusaka-kanko.com