Kyoto Tea Quest Audio Guide: Introduction to Japanese Tea Culture

On this self-paced walking tour, you'll uncover the allure of how a simple plant has flourished into an art form. Join Context Travel Expert Nick Nauber on an enlightening walk to explore this age-old Japanese ritual where Kyoto is the beating heart of Japanese tea. You'll dive deeper into the traditions, history, and practices behind tea rituals while discovering the connection between your beautiful natural surroundings and the tea you'll drink. 

Starting at the Marutamachi Police Box, you'll begin your tea odyssey by stepping through the historic Ainomachi Entrance and heading to the  Shūsui-tei Teahouse within the Imperial Palace's grounds. You'll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the over 200-year-old teahouse's serene ambiance and hear stories about grand tea receptions hosted by the Kujo family centuries ago. You'll trace the origins of tea cultivation from Southern China to Japan when Kyoto became a hub for cultivating "Honchya" or "original" tea. At the Sugawara-in Tenmangu Shrine, you'll learn one of the secrets of tea production from the significance of choosing water from specific sources like underground freshwater streams to the impact of sunlight on tea leave's taste. You'll find the Rokkaku-dō  Temple, with its distinctive six-sided roof, where you'll hear about the Japanese art of flower arranging (ikebana). As our tour reaches an end, you'll enjoy a final cup at the Horaido Tea Stall, renowned for inventing gen-mai-cha, a popular tea infused with roasted rice grains.

Along the way, you'll have a chance to:

Join Nick Nauber on this tea-infused journey through Japan’s tea capital, where every sip unveils layers of history, culture, and craftsmanship.