Visit the Yumeyakata Gojo Shop in Kyoto at the starting time to pick out the perfect kimono. Choose from a range of colours, designs, and sizes. Opt-for the add-on and ladies can complete their experience by having their hair-styled, makeup and upgrade the kimono from causal kimono to formal kimono(Houmongi).

After you are authentically dressed, head to Yumeyakata Oike Bettei, a traditional machiya townhouse by yourself. The tea ceremony will begin two hours after the selected starting time. (For example, if you choose 11:00 AM, the tea ceremony will start at 1:00 PM.) Immerse yourself in a traditional atmosphere during a tea ceremony at a 100-year-old house with a tea master.

Start with an explanation of tea ceremony history, from its introduction into Japan from China about 1,200 years ago, until the form that is known today as the Japanese Way of Tea. Sit on a small chairs or feel free to sit on the floor.

Find out how to bow, use proper greeting words, eat sweets, drink the tea, and observe and appreciate the tea bowl. Get deeper into the experience when the master brings all the necessary items into the room and prepares the first tea for a guest.

After this first tea service, prepare the tea by yourself under the master’s supervision and serve it to the next guest. As in a traditional tea ceremony, the experience will continue with each guest preparing tea for the next. Finally, the master closes the ceremony.

Feel free to ask as many questions as you want and take a few pictures in the machiya house before you leave. Finally, you can wear the kimono and stroll around Kyoto before returning it to the shop by 5:30 PM.

Our shop is located near Kyoto Gosho (Kyoto Imperial Palace), and right next to us is the former residence of Nijō Yoshimoto, a high-ranking court noble from the Nanboku-chō period (14 Century). Nijō Yoshimoto was not only a Daijō Daijin (Grand Minister of State) but also one of the founding figures of Renga (linked verse poetry) culture, wielding significant influence over the literary world. He hosted elegant poetry gatherings at his residence, bringing together nobles and scholars to enjoy refined artistic pursuits, thereby elevating Renga to new heights.

Since ancient times, the Kyoto Gosho area has been the cultural and social centre for the imperial court and aristocracy. For centuries, emperors and nobles have held tea gatherings, poetry recitals, and artistic discussions here, embodying the pinnacle of Japanese aesthetics and refinement. Experiencing a tea ceremony in this historically rich location is not only an opportunity to connect with the thousand-year-old traditions of the imperial court but also a chance to step into the elegant and profound world of the nobility.