Taste, Learn and Experience Japanese Tea and Tea Ceremony
A very old traditional shop can be found along Teramachi Shopping Arcade. Horaido is a tea specialty shop established in 1803 run by the Yasumori Family. Dignified tea pots are lined up and tea utensils for daily use and formal tea ceremony are placed all around. The present owner, Nagahiro Yasumori, always welcomes customers from all around the world with gentle smile and his incredibly wide knowledge of Japanese teas. If you are wondering which tea leaf to choose, just tell him your preference and questions, then, he will give you the best answer. Horaido will lead you into the deep world of Japanese green tea.
“What we offer in our shop is not merely the tea leaves but the tradition of drinking tea that our ancestors followed for some hundreds of years.” In 2020, Horaido made a full refurbishment in the back of their classical tea shop and today, an authentic tea ceremony room and garden from the Edo period was restored. They offer a great opportunity for visitors to experience Japanese tea ceremony a few times a month.
The event is organized by Michael Drzmisek Sozui, a Urasenke tea instructor, and his wife, Harumi. Born in Switzerland, Michael graduated from the College of Arts and Crafts in Zurich as a display designer. His first contact with Japanese culture was through the
martial art of Aikido and later he began to learn about the tea ceremony to complement his martial arts studies.
After becoming more deeply interested in tea, he came to Japan to focus on the study and practice of tea. With more than thirty years of experience, Michael sees chanoyu as a way of communication between people and ideas. Michael purchased tea at Horaido over 30 years ago during his first visit to Japan. Since then, he has been a regular drinker of Horaido matcha.
During their tea event at Horaido, you will be able to enjoy a basic introduction to the Japanese tea ceremony. A bowl of tea prepared by Michael in the traditional way will be served with a sweets, and is followed by a question-and-answer session. It is Michael and Harumi’s wish to open a window into the practice of the Japanese tea ceremony as a communication tool to connect people from all over the world. Not only at Houraido but also at their own tea room, Kanjo-an, in a renovated old private home, they introduce the practice of tea ceremony as a way of life.
To join the tea ceremony experience at Horaido, check their latest event information on their Instagram.
Horaido: Open: 10:30-18:30; Closed: 2nd, 7th, 12th, 17th, 22nd, 27th of the month; On the west side of Teramachi, north of Shijo
Kanjo-an: 191-3 Nishiyashiro-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto; At Kanjo-an, visitors can join programs featuring tea ceremony in English, Japanese or German; contact them for details.