{"id":206,"date":"2026-03-30T13:47:52","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T13:47:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/th.oriensconsulting.com\/?p=206"},"modified":"2026-05-22T07:02:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T07:02:09","slug":"four-japanese-tea-houses-for-every-mood-from-miyajima-to-kyoto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/th.oriensconsulting.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/30\/four-japanese-tea-houses-for-every-mood-from-miyajima-to-kyoto\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Japanese Tea Houses For Every Mood, From Miyajima to Kyoto"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Kelly Washington<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a woman hailing from the North of England, I thought I loved tea\u2026 then I went to Japan, and fell in love with the practice of visiting tea houses. In Japan, tea is a ritual. Rooted in the spiritual practice of Zen Buddhism, drinking tea encourages one to sit in the moment and practice the aesthetic principles of wabi-sabi (finding beauty in imperfection). At home, it\u2019s less about reflection and more about comfort. Mainly, it is a way to connect with people, when we haven\u2019t seen someone in a while we\u2019ll \u201cpop over for a brew\u201d to catch up. It\u2019s also a way to soothe (the first thing we\u2019ll do when someone is feeling low is offer to boil the kettle).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the UK is known for loving tea, I\u2019m told most parts of Asia are appalled at the way we drink it. In Japan, there\u2019s much more to tea than a quick cup of Yorkshire. I knew I wanted to visit some tea houses during my stay, but had absolutely no clue where to start. When you can find one on every corner it can be a little overwhelming (there\u2019s currently a surge in popularity, due to \u2018matcha mania\u2019 on social media and tourists). During my research, I soon discovered there\u2019s a tea house for virtually every mood. To save you the trial and error, here\u2019s four of Japan\u2019s most interesting tea houses that bring a little extra to the table. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you want history and tradition\u2026 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tsuen Tea (\u901a\u5713)<\/u><\/a>, located in Uji, Kyoto, is recognized as the oldest tea shop in Japan. Founded in 1160 C.E, it has 860 years of history. According to the tea house, \u201cTsuen\u201d means Tsu \u2013 way or path and En means circle, round, or calm and En is a word from Zen. When a person gets older (or their life has come full circle) they have a better understanding of life, which brings peace. Now run by the tea house\u2019 24th generation, Tsuen Tea emphasises how legacy and traditional values in institutions can preserve something sacred \u2013 the experience these tea houses bring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want innovation\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Head to one of Japanese designer Shinichiro Ogata\u2019s minimalist tea sanctuaries, like his modern tea salon Higashiya Ginza<\/u><\/a> in Tokyo. If you\u2019re big on interiors, this one\u2019s for you. This tea house offers clean lines and natural colour palettes \u2013 key features of the highly popular \u201cJapandi\u201d design trend \u2013 which strives to blend Japanese minimalist design with Scandinavian functionality and ease. Offering seasonal wagashi, a careful selection of teas and tableware products, they don\u2019t skimp on any of the details. Get the \u201cSamajiki\u201d, a set menu for a Japanese take on afternoon tea which features two teas of your preference, a light meal and an assortment of wagashi, priced at \u00a56,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you want a unique, authentic experience (and a hike)\u2026 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nagomiya Kotengu<\/u><\/a> in Kyoto. Ok, this is actually a soba noodle shop, but the whole experience was outstanding and well worth a visit. I tried a Hojicha (fig leaf tea) and the set menu, which included one main dish and three small ones. The whole experience was an explosion of flavours like nothing else I had in Japan. Make a day of it by hiking between remote villages Kurama and Kabune, and warm up in the quaint and cosy restaurant after. This meal was truly one to remember (and not only because we were worried about running into wild bears\u2026). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you want magic\u2026 Iwaso in Itsukushima (a.k.a Miyajima)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In 1893, Iwaso Ryokan<\/u><\/a> was once a modest tea house. Now, it boasts an intimate and traditional inn situated in the breathtaking Momijidani park, surrounded by bright red maple trees planted by the tea house\u2019s founder many moons ago. If you want somewhere with a rich history in tea, as well as a traditional onsen hotspring, and somewhere to lay your head, this is probably the most beautiful park I\u2019ve ever visited. Deer roam freely and are very friendly. All guests are greeted with a complimentary, high-end, authentic tea service, which they can enjoy in the tranquil woodland environment.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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By Kelly Washington As a woman hailing from the North of England, I thought I loved tea\u2026 then I went to Japan, and fell in love with the practice of visiting tea houses. In Japan, tea is a ritual. Rooted in the spiritual practice of Zen Buddhism, drinking tea encourages one to sit in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[18],"class_list":["post-206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-venues","tag-highlights"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/th.oriensconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/tea-japan3.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/th.oriensconsulting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/th.oriensconsulting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/th.oriensconsulting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/th.oriensconsulting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/th.oriensconsulting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=206"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/th.oriensconsulting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":287,"href":"https:\/\/th.oriensconsulting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206\/revisions\/287"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/th.oriensconsulting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/th.oriensconsulting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/th.oriensconsulting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/th.oriensconsulting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}