Six Senses Kyoto, a nature-focused luxury resort in the Higashiyama area of Kyoto, is hosting a matcha promotion from April 20 to June 20, 2026. Running across its seasonal dining room Sekki, Café Sekki, and Six Senses Spa Kyoto, the promotion offers a variety of ways to enjoy matcha — from eating and drinking to incorporating it into wellness routines.
The timing coincides with "Grain Rain" (穀雨, Koku-u), one of the twenty-four traditional Japanese solar terms and a season long associated with tea harvesting. Six Senses Kyoto cultivates its own tea plants alongside pesticide-free herbs and vegetables in the hotel garden. Each year during this season, staff — and sometimes guests — join in hand-picking the tea leaves, engaging all five senses in a hands-on connection with nature.
Matcha Afternoon Tea with Teas from Ippodo
Available exclusively during the period between "Grain Rain" and "Grain in Ear" (芒種, Bōshu), the matcha afternoon tea is made using teas from Ippodo Tea Co. (一保堂茶舖), one of Kyoto's long-established Japanese tea specialty shops.
The welcome drink is gyokuro "Rinpho" from Ippodo, cold-steeped over time to bring out a smooth, full-bodied flavor — described as like being enveloped in the fragrance of tea.
Ippodo's matcha is woven throughout the sweets and savories as well, appearing in a verrine paired with amazake, a tartlet with citrus, a salmon trout marinade wrapped in matcha, and a matcha and white chocolate scone. Other items — such as hojicha cream daifuku and a sencha dacquoise — bring in a range of Japanese teas beyond matcha, evoking the spirit of traditional Japanese confectionery throughout the menu.
The afternoon tea's included tea free-flow features coffee, black tea, various Japanese teas, and an original herbal tea made by pairing Ippodo teas with herbs grown in the Six Senses garden. The entire menu is gluten-free. Following the hotel's "Eat With Six Senses" food philosophy, ingredients are sourced sustainably and prepared with simple techniques. Fermented elements — such as amazake cream and enzymatic brown rice — are incorporated to draw out depth of flavor while honoring traditional Japanese food culture.
Koyomi Afternoon Tea "Matcha Afternoon Tea" — Menu
Matcha and citrus tartlet / Matcha and amazake verrine / Hojicha cream daifuku / Sencha dacquoise / Seasonal fresh wagashi / Salmon trout marinade wrapped in matcha / Summer mandarin rice flour bagel / Enzymatic brown rice and sakura shrimp arancini / Tea leaf tsukudani sushi / White miso scone / Matcha and white chocolate scone / Blueberry and raspberry jam / Amazake cream
Venue: Seasonal Dining Sekki (B2F)
Period: April 20–June 20, 2026
Price: ¥6,900 per person (includes tea free-flow)
Phone: 075-531-0732 (restaurant direct)
Online Reservations: https://www.tablecheck.com/sixsenses-kyoto-restaurant-sekki/reserve/experiences?menu_lists=69d5f27d0f5a976413bf0d55
Matcha Parfait Inspired by Karesansui
Six Senses Kyoto's first matcha parfait draws on the aesthetic of karesansui (dry landscape gardens), evoking stillness and the beauty of negative space. Rich matcha sauce and granola crunch form the base, layered with matcha agar yokan and Kiyomi orange for a refreshing accent, and wrapped in fragrant hojicha cream.
Matcha crème chocolat and crème chantilly are layered with matcha ice cream, while tsubu-an (chunky red bean paste), shiratama rice flour dumplings, and black soybeans add a traditional wagashi finish. Sweetness, bitterness, and acidity are balanced to create a complex, well-rounded flavor.
Period: April 20–June 20, 2026
Venues: Seasonal Dining Sekki / Café Sekki / Cocktail Bar Nine Tails
Price: ¥3,800 per person (à la carte); +¥1,500 per person when substituting a course dessert
Phone: 075-531-0732 (restaurant direct)
Online Reservations: https://www.tablecheck.com/sixsenses-kyoto-restaurant-sekki/reserve/experience/694de3e05c2b6c1e016be6f9
Three Limited-Time Matcha Drinks at Café Sekki
Café Sekki offers three limited-time drinks, each approaching matcha from a different angle — fresh citrus, fermented, and traditional.
Yuzu Matcha Soda (center / ¥1,000): A pairing of bright yuzu citrus and the gentle umami of matcha, with light carbonation that refreshes and cleanses the palate.
Matcha Kombucha (right / ¥1,600): The depth of matcha meets the delicate acidity of kombucha in a gut-friendly, refreshing drink that carries a sense of natural vitality.
Usucha (left / ¥1,200): A smooth, creamy bowl of traditional thin matcha, with naturally sweet undertones and layered umami — allowing the intrinsic character of matcha to take center stage.
Venue: Café Sekki (B2F)
Period: April 20–June 20, 2026
Phone: 075-531-0732 (restaurant direct)
Matcha Bath Salt Workshop at the Alchemy Bar
Six Senses Spa Kyoto's Alchemy Bar — a hands-on facility where guests can craft personalized skincare products — is hosting a matcha bath salt workshop as part of the promotion.
Using matcha alongside herbs and spices grown in the hotel garden, participants create a bath salt to take home. The workshop is designed as a sensory experience: breathing with the aroma of matcha and herbs, opening the senses, and finding a moment of calm that can be brought back into daily life.
Venue: Six Senses Spa Kyoto (B2F)
Price: Alchemy Bar Workshop (45 min) — ¥12,000 per person
Phone: 075-531-0712 (spa direct)
Email: wellness-kyoto@sixsenses.com
About Seasonal Dining Sekki
Sekki is Six Senses Kyoto's main dining room, built around Japan's twenty-four solar terms (節気, sekki). Executive Chef Hiroki Shishikura works closely with local farmers and producers to create menus that highlight the peak flavors of seasonal ingredients. Locally sourced, sustainably grown vegetables take center stage, with carefully selected meats and seafood in supporting roles. The kitchen's approach to waste — using ingredients "from root to stem" — extends sustainability to cooking methods as well.
Hours:
- Breakfast: 7:00 AM–10:30 AM
- Lunch: 12:00 PM–2:30 PM (closed between services)
- Brunch: 12:00 PM–2:30 PM (Sundays only, closed between services)
- Afternoon Tea: 12:00 PM–5:30 PM (Sundays: 3:00 PM–5:30 PM only)
- Dinner: 6:00 PM–9:30 PM (closed after last order)
Phone: 075-531-0732 (restaurant direct)
Online Reservations: https://www.tablecheck.com/sixsenses-kyoto-restaurant-sekki/reserve/experiences
Six Senses Kyoto
431 Myohoin Maekawa-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
Phone: 075-531-0700
Access: Approx. 7 minutes by taxi from Kyoto Station; approx. 10 minutes on foot from Keihan Shichijo Station
Website: https://www.sixsenses.com/jp/kyoto
