A summer gyokuro workshop will be held on June 23, 2026, at Choushinjo Kinokuniya Kyoto Machiya in Kyoto's Nakagyo district. Organized by Tsuchikikaku (Karaki Taisen) and Kinokuniya, this marks the second installment in the series following a spring cherry blossom tea gathering held earlier in the year.
The featured brewing style for this session is "reisen" — a method of preparing gyokuro using plenty of ice and savoring it on the rocks. Unlike tea brewed at high temperatures, reisen uses slow cold extraction that brings out the full umami and natural sweetness of gyokuro while keeping astringency to a minimum, resulting in a rich yet mellow flavor.
During the workshop, the instructor will demonstrate the reisen brewing process and key points for a great result, then participants will brew the tea themselves and enjoy it with Japanese sweets. The session also covers how to recreate the reisen method at home.
Workshop Details
Date: June 23, 2026 (Tuesday)
Time:
- Session 1: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM (Doors open at 10:20 AM)
- Session 2: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM (Doors open at 1:50 PM)
Venue: Choushinjo Kinokuniya Kyoto Machiya, Kyoto (https://kinokuniya.kyoto/)
Address: 129 Matsushita-cho, Tominokoji-dori Oike-sagaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto
Instructor: Karaki Taisen
Capacity: 4 participants per session
Fee: ¥7,700 (tax included, materials included)
Eligibility: Adults 18 years and older
Registration: Advance booking with prepayment required via the form below
Cancellation Policy: No cancellations accepted from 7 days prior to the event
Registration Form
https://www.super-kinokuniya.jp/c/kyomachiya/9900-20260601ky
About the Instructor
Karaki Taisen
Trained by the second and third generation heads of the school in the art of movement, ceremonial arrangement, and the cultivation of aesthetic sensibility, Karaki Taisen is active in spreading awareness of the power of tea.
- Grand Master, Sencha-do Obaku Baisaryu
- Director, Obaku Baisaryu General Incorporated Association
- Chairman, Obaku Baisaryu Masters' Association
- Executive Director, Hiyoshi Grand Shrine Obaku Baisaryu Tea Ceremony
- Sencha-do supervisor for NHK drama Rising Jakuchu
- Appeared on NHK Bi no Tsubo: "Brewed and Savored — Japanese Tea"
About Obaku Baisaryu
A school of sencha-do that developed from the tea traditions at Obakusan Manpukuji in Uji, Kyoto. The school carries on the spirit of the wandering tea peddler Baisao, teaching the formal art of preparing tea (temae) to practitioners of all levels — from beginners to the experienced. The aesthetic sensibility cultivated through practice is said to bring fresh perspective to everyday life.
