Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo (Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo) has put on sale "Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo Mitate Tea Ceremony (Mindful MITATE Tea Ceremony)," a guests-only activity for experiencing Japanese aesthetics and tea culture together with ceramic artist and tea master Shota Yamada. It is offered on weekdays only, from October 1 to December 31, 2026 and from March 1 to June 30, 2027.
The experience takes its theme from "mitate," a Japanese aesthetic of likening one thing to another thing or to a scene, and finding new meaning and value in it. Set in a garden where the changing seasons and historic cultural properties coexist, it invites participants to engage with tea while facing their own sensibility and imagination.
Under Yamada's guidance, participants spend time in the registered tangible cultural property tea room "Zangetsu" and on a lawn area facing the three-story pagoda, a place normally closed to visitors.
Japanese-English bilingual staff provide language support, so international guests encountering Japanese culture for the first time can take part with confidence. With a small group in a place that is normally off-limits, the activity can also be used as a way to welcome important guests from overseas.
Choosing a Tea Bowl in the Registered Tangible Cultural Property "Zangetsu"
The experience begins in "Zangetsu," a registered tangible cultural property tea room in the garden. It is a private experience limited to one group. Participants choose the tea bowl that speaks to them from the tea bowls provided, feeling its shape, color, texture and weight.
Next, under the guidance of Yamada, participants study the bowl they chose and share the impressions it gives them with one another. By putting into words what the color, glaze and pattern of the bowl bring to mind, such as mountains, a water surface or a scene from a journey, they appreciate a single tea bowl from many perspectives.
"Mitate," the theme of the experience, is one of the Japanese aesthetics: seeing something and overlaying it with another object or scene, then finding one's own meaning and value in it.
Rather than stopping at learning tea ceremony etiquette, the experience is meant to be a time to look carefully at what is in front of you and to notice what you feel and how you perceive it, touching your own sensibility and imagination.
A Specially Opened Lawn Facing the Three-Story Pagoda
After the session in "Zangetsu," the experience moves to the lawn area facing the three-story pagoda, another registered tangible cultural property in the garden.
This area is normally closed to guests and is opened specially for this experience. With the historic pagoda and the garden scenery close at hand, participants watch Yamada prepare tea and taste it, and then whisk tea themselves with a tea whisk.
Participants can enjoy a slow tea time with the bowl they chose, feeling the motion of the whisk, the texture of the bowl in their hands, the wind passing through the garden and the sounds of nature. The experience can also be enjoyed together with the dreamlike scenery of the garden display "Tokyo Unkai: Yakumo."
The experience runs in autumn to early winter, from October to December 2026, when the trees change color, and again from March to June 2027, as the scenery moves from cherry blossoms to fresh greenery. The garden shows a different face in each season.
Experience Details
Period: October 1 (Thu) to December 31 (Thu), 2026 and March 1 (Mon) to June 30 (Wed), 2027 (weekdays only)
Start times: 9:30 AM / 10:30 AM / 11:30 AM (advance reservation required)
Duration: 60 to 90 minutes
Venue: Tea room "Zangetsu" and the lawn area facing the three-story pagoda (inside "Zangetsu" in case of rain)
Price: ¥150,000 for 1 to 2 guests (limited to one group per day)
- ¥45,000 for each additional guest
- Up to 6 guests per session
- Includes consumption tax and 15% service charge
- Accommodation fees are charged separately
Notes:
- This experience is limited to guests staying at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo. Please book a hotel stay before applying for the experience.
Reservations: Online, in advance
Inquiries: 03-3943-1111 (10:00 AM to 7:00 PM)
Official Website: https://hotel-chinzanso-tokyo.jp/garden/plan/mitate-tea-ceremony/
