Experience traditional Japanese culture at the Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony — bond over tea

By / MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel & Lifestyle Network Editorial Department, compiled and reported
 
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo Arts Council are dedicated to promoting Japanese traditional culture and performing arts. In an effort to pass on the “heart of Japan” to the next generation, they have initiated various traditional cultural projects...

On October 3 and 4, the event will be held at the “Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum” (Koganei City, Tokyo), an outdoor museum featuring historically valuable buildings, and on October 10 and 11 at the “Hama-rikyu Gardens” (Chuo Ward, Tokyo). The four-day event takes place across these two venues. Admission to the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum is free, while the Hama-rikyu Gardens charges an entrance fee.

The “Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony” began in Heisei 20 (2008) and this year marks its eighth edition. Tea schools from across the country gather together, with approximately 30,000 visitors attending last year. Since its inception, over 130,000 people have participated. At the two venues, you can enjoy a formal tea gathering in a “tea room,” an outdoor “nodate” tea experience, or the “First Tea Ceremony Experience” designed for beginners and foreigners.

At the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, you can also enjoy a “Children’s Tea Ceremony Class” aimed at elementary school students, performances of traditional Japanese performing arts, and sample food from food stalls operated by the local Koganei City Chamber of Commerce.

This year marks the first time the Hama-rikyu Gardens has set up a “nodate” area, where you can enjoy sencha (green tea) at a sencha seating area. Events include an “English nodate” with an English explanation of the tea preparation method, a “High School Students’ Nodate” featuring demonstrations by high school students, and performances such as “Edo Tecchū” — a type of traditional magic.