The Tea Tour of Japan 2011

This 11 day tour has been especially created by Tim d’Offay of Postcard Teas and Paul Christie of Catalpa Travel. Catalpa Travel (http://www.catalpa-travel.com) is the new sister company of Walk Japan (www.walkjapan.com) specializing in non-walking tours of Japan.

Focusing on the culture, cuisine and traditions of tea, The Tea & Gourmet Tour of Japan also provides insights and experiences into Japan’s food, history, culture and society through activities that include visits to both famous and less well-known, but no less worthy, places of interest.

We will learn about and appreciate in context the great range of teas produced in Japan, make our own tea for the pot and learn how to make a cup of tea the classic way. We will also gain insights into and try our hand at the distinctly different tea of chado, the tea ceremony. We will see the refined culture and crafts of Kyoto; learn of the great range of ingredients and styles found in Japanese cuisine through our meals from sumptuous banquets in inns through tasty local restaurants to countryside feasts - all are a delight for the eyes and stomach; on our travels we experience the economic powerhouse atmosphere of Tokyo, enjoy an intimate world in the nation’s cultural capital, Kyoto; and travel into beautiful Japanese countryside. Most importantly your tour leaders, Tim d’Offay and Paul Christie, set all we experience into an enjoyable and understandable context.

Our modes of transport vary from the high-speed Shinkansen ‘Bullet’ Train to local bus and taxi. Very occasionally we take a short walk. Our accommodation varies from modern, western-style hotels to traditional Japanese inns. Although very different in appearance, whether hotel or inn, the service will be typically Japanese; that is excellent.

Whether for the novice or returning visitor to Japan this tour provides many new insights and experiences to this fascinating nation and its warm, welcoming and engaging people. The cost of the tour is £4950. For a detailed itinerary please see below or call us to arrange a time to come to our Mayfair store to learn more about this unique tea tour.

The Tea Tour of Japan

Day to day itinerary

Day 1 - Tuesday, 10 May

Tokyo

Meet at 18:00 at our hotel, a few minutes' walk from Tokyo Station. Our tour briefing is held over dinner, our first Japanese meal of the tour, at a local restaurant in the heart of Tokyo’s business district. Here we will learn also about etiquette and some of the traditions of life in Japan.

Accommodation: Stay in a hotel.

Meals: Dinner provided.

Day 2 - Wednesday, 11 May

Tokyo

An early morning visit to Tsukiji fish market, the world’s largest fish market where fish, is followed by an Edo style sushi breakfast of the freshest produce available anywhere in the city. A leisurely walking tour beginning in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo follows. But first a cup of tea at Yamamoto-yama, a nearby tea merchant that was established in 1690. it is also the starting point of our look at the Edo Period (1603~1868) when tea flourished in Japan.

Edo, as Tokyo used to be known in the feudal period, was the de facto political and military centre of Japan. Nihonbashi was Edo’s heart, with the five main highways of Japan, including the Nakasendo, and sea and river routes terminating here. Along these were brought the goods that supplied Edo. William Adams, a once shipwrecked Englishman who became a Samurai, also had a merchant’s quarters here.

We walk on to the nearby Imperial Palace. The Palace is on the site of the Shogun’s castle and  the grounds retain many of the castle’s impressive stone ramparts. We walk through here and on to stimulating Yasukuni Shrine and its associated museum. This is the shrine that causes many a problem with neighbouring China and Korea. Near here is an excellent ceramic and glassware shop, many of which are tea related.

We transfer to nearby Kagurazaka, a charming but little known quarter of Tokyo, for lunch. Amongst the many local restaurants is a Japanese tea café, one of the most atmospheric in Tokyo.

From Kagurazaka we go by local train to Ryogoku for the Sumo. We arrive around 3 pm for the best of the day’s wrestling, and the atmosphere gradually builds as everyone waits for the top wrestlers’ appearance at the end of the day.

Later we go out together for dinner at a local restaurant, and for those who wish, this is followed by a guided adventure into the rumbustious nightlife of the capital.

Accommodation: Stay in a hotel.

Meals: Breakfast & dinner provided.

Day 3 - Thursday, 12 May

Tokyo - Yuya Onsen

After breakfast transfer to Asakusa. Senso-ji Temple is the most famous attraction in this area. However, the surrounding streets of this old neighbourhood contain a myriad of interesting shops and local restaurants. The sights, sounds and tastes of this vibrant downtown quarter of Tokyo are a delight to the senses. Nearby is Kappabashi, a street of kitchen utensil emporiums. Here you can buy almost any culinary hardware from the best Japanese kitchen knives to the famous, if slightly kitsch, plastic food seen outside many Japanese restaurants.

After exploring the area, we take a boat trip down the Sumida-gawa River to Hamarikyu-en, formerly the stroll gardens of the Shogun. Nearby is Ginza, the premier shopping district of Japan. We visit two sencha, leaf-tea, specialist shops, one before and one after lunch, found here. The tea maker’s expert performance leads to an almost reverential atmosphere that only heightens the enjoyment of our cup of tea.

Early afternoon we catch the Shinkansen ‘Bullet’ Train, which speeds us to our next train, a local one that slowly winds its way up through hills to Yuya Onsen, our destination. Together with adjacent Shizuoka Prefecture, Aichi comprises the heart of Japanese tea growing and processing business. We will venture into the hills for some gentle walking beside a delightful mountain river. Tea is such an ingrained part of the local culture here that many a private garden includes tea bushes for personal use. The locals sometimes refer to this tea as yamacha, or mountain tea.

Our ryokan is close by onsen, thermal hot springs. We immerse ourselves in this very relaxing and enjoyable aspect of Japanese culture before feasting on locally sourced produce at our ryokan.

We round off the evening with an exploration of teas from around Japan. We will learn how to make a perfect cup of tea and come to understand the varieties of tea in Japan.

Accommodation: Stay in a ryokan.

Meals: Breakfast & dinner provided.

Day 4 - Friday, 13 May

Yuya Onsen

We rise early today to hand pick our own tea and then process it in a local, boutique factory. We will be guided in our work by the owner, an award-winning producer who has grown organic tea here for over 30 years. His tea is highly prized and is in demand by such an illustrious figure as the Emperor of Japan.

Lunch is a local delicacy of handmade soba (buckwheat) noodles made by the tea farmer’s son. We then enjoy a post-prandial cup of our own shincha, the new tea we pick fresh this morning.

We return to our ryokan, were we meet Asako d’Offay for an experience of arakubon-date, the simplest form of the tea ceremony. Asako was brought up in a tea family. Her great-grandfather was the first to establish tea in the nearby Mt. Fuji area in late 19th Century. Asako has also studied tea for many years under the tutelage of her aunt, an Omote Senke Chado, or tea ceremony, teacher. Omote senke is one of two main schools of chado. The other is the Urasenke school of which we will learn more later in Kyoto.

Accommodation: Stay in a ryokan.

Meals: Breakfast & dinner provided.

Day 5 - Saturday, 14 May

Yuya Onsen - Kyoto

After breakfast we transfer to Kyoto, Japan’s cultural capital and centre of the Japanese tea culture. Another Shinkansen ‘Bullet’ Train whisks us on our way.

After leaving our luggage at our hotel we stroll through Tera-machi, a street running north-south in central Kyoto. Tera-machi and the immediate area contain many shops typical of Tokyo, including two famous traditional tea stores of Kyoto, Ippodo and Horaido. We will also come across  ceramic and metalsmith shops furnishing many items used for tea; Japanese print shops and Japanese confectionary emporiums. We will make a small diversion to Nishiki, Kyoto’s central food street, where all manner of food, much unrecognisable, provide a feast for the eyes and whet the palette. We also make a special visit to Kaikado, a small firm that for over 130 years has been making copper, brass and tin tea caddies. Simple but exquisite, some of Kaikado’s work have found their way into the Imperial household.

Our evening meal will be at a lively izakaya restaurant popular with the locals. The varied menu ensures that there will be much to everyone’s taste.

Accommodation: Stay in a hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.

Day 6 - Sunday, 15 May

Kyoto

Today coincides with the Aoi Matsuri, one of Japan’s biggest festivals. A procession of decorated ox-carts attended by hundreds of people in Heian-Period (794 - 1185 AD) costume at the Kyoto Imperial Park.

After seeing the Aoi Matsuri we visit to a sweet maker. Here we see the sweets, an essential part of chado, being made and enjoy one with a cup of tea. Refreshed by our tea we continue on to the Raku Museum. This discreet and charming Museum displays some of the finest examples of bowls made in Kyoto used in chado.

Our tour continues on to some more of Kyoto’s iconic sites of interest, which lie so much at the heart of the Japan’s history and culture. We will visit Kinkaku-ji temple (Golden Pavilion) and the fabulous Zen gardens at Ryoan-ji temple. The Golden Pavilion, probably the most recognisable structure in Japan, was built by 3rd Ashikaga Shogun Yoshimitsu as a lavish retirement villa. The Ashikaga Clan overthrew the Minamoto Shogunate in Kamkura in 1336 and returned the capital to Kyoto. Yoshimitsu supported the arts including Noh Theatre, which flourished at the Golden Pavilion.

Free time follows for lunch and to explore the many interesting arts and crafts stores found  throughout Kyoto - your tour leader will be on hand to advise how best to use your time.

Dinner this evening is in a discreet local restaurant in the Pontocho area, which is followed by an evening stroll around Gion. Here, with some luck, we might spot a Geisha scurrying between appointments.

Accommodation: Stay in a hotel.

Meals: Breakfast & dinner provided. 

Day 7 - Monday, 16 May

Kyoto - Uji - Kyoto

Today we visit the original gyokuro tea farm in Uji where, with luck, we may see hand rolled gyokuro tea being produced. Gyokuro is a fine tea grown in the shade. The farm’s owners, currently the 16th generation, and our hosts are also appointed the custodians of Japan’s oldest tea field found in north Kyoto. This field was originally planted with seeds brought back from China by Eisai. Eisai not only brought tea seeds but also Zen Buddhism too and in doing so began the strong link between Zen and the culture of Japanese Tea.

During our time in Uji we will experience senchado, nowadays a rare experience but it once vied for popularity with chado in the Edo Period.

After visiting a traditional factory to see the stone grinding of green tea leaves intomatcha, the powered tea used in the chado, our return journey to Kyoto takes us via Manpukuji, the centre of Ming Dynasty Chinese Zen culture in Japan. The temple with its unique architecture and gardens has also been the home of sencha, leaf-tea, culture for several centuries.

Returning to Kyoto for the evening, dinner is not included allowing everyone the opportunity to immerse themselves in Kyoto dining and experience one of the myriad of small restaurants for which Kyoto is justly famous. Your tour leaders will be on hand to advise and settle you in to your chosen establishment. If you wish, either one of them will be pleased to join you.

Accommodation: Stay in a hotel.

Meals: Breakfast provided.

Day 8 - Tuesday, 17 May

Kyoto

Today we divide the group into two. The first group goes on a tour of Kyoto. The second begins the day preparing for a chado, tea ceremony, for the first group later in the day.

First group’s day: After a visit to the Kyoto Museum of Traditional arts, for an introduction to the myriad and splendid crafts of the city. Next Ginkaku-ji - Silver Pavilion temple - built by the 8th Ashikaga Shogun, Yoshimasa. Like his grandfather, Yoshimitsu, Yoshimasa was a great patron of the arts. Besides innovations associated with gardens and flower arranging, Yoshimasa fostered the development of tea at Ginkaku-ji. Here the small, four and a half mat tea room, where Yoshimasa drank tea with his colleagues, became the  standard model for all future tea rooms. With Yoshimasa’s backing tea drinking, began its development from a pastime to the mannered ritual of chado, the tea ceremony, evolved by the famous Zen abbot Ikkyu and greatest tea master Sen-no-Rikyu. Both are deeply associated with Daitoku-ji temple, the next stop on our tour today.

Daitoku-ji is the finest Rinzai Zen sect monastery with a complex of sub-temples covering 56 acres. After soaking up the serene atmosphere and learning about Ikkyu and Sen-no-Rikyu, we will lunch within Daitoku-ji at a shojin ryori, or temple vegetarian meal, restaurant.

To continue the main theme of today, we experience chado as guests hosted by our colleagues in the informative and enthralling company of Jack Convery Shoko, a Canadian and Chajin. tea master of the Uransenke school.

Second group’s day: Today we will take part in making a cup of tea, as chado hosts. All aspects of the tea ceremony from preparation of the charcoal fire through writing calligraphy for display in the tea room to making a cup of delicious tea will be undertaken under the informative and expert guidance of Jack in his delightful home. As hosts we will entertain your tour colleagues who have spent the day touring Kyoto before joining us mid-afternoon as our guests.

Dinner is not included this evening as often times our chado experience lasts long into the evening.

Accommodation: Stay in a hotel.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch provided.

Day 9 - Wednesday, 18 May

Kyoto

Today the group divides again into two. This time, though, the roles are reversed from yesterday. The first group prepare for a chado, tea ceremony, while the second group goes on a tour of Kyoto before returning to Jack’s home for another delicious cup of tea.

Tonight we retire relatively early for a special treat for our final evening in Kyoto a night at a sumptuous ryokan, a Japanese inn Here we enjoy a typically fantastic, Kyoto banquet and allow ourselves to be pampered by our hostess and her staff.

Accommodation: Stay in a ryokan.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.

Day 10 - Thursday, 19 May

Kyoto - Tokyo

After a leisurely start at our ryokan, we visit the house, now museum, of Kawai Kanjiro, who was once a potter and leading exponent of the Japanese C20th arts & crafts movement. Examples of the Kawai’s work are displayed in this somewhat quirky but delightful house. In the back is his nobori-gama, or climbing kiln, where he used to fire his work, which include chawan, tea bowls.

We leave Kyoto for Tokyo by the Shinkansen ‘Bullet’ Train. Free time after arrival at our hotel near Tokyo Station. Later we regroup for our last dinner to recollect our experiences and celebrate our travels together.

Accommodation: Stay in a hotel.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner provided.

Day 11 - Friday, 20 May

Depart Japan

Farewells as the tour finishes after breakfast. The tour leader will be on hand to help with onward travel arrangements and advise on the best use of time for anyone extending their stay in Japan.

Accommodation: N/A.

Meals: Breakfast provided.

This itinerary is subject to change.