A candlelit tea ceremony in a 100-year-old Kyoto townhouse.

Candlelight, not electric light. We turn the lamps off because in the dark you notice more — the sound of the water, the smell of the tea, the weight of the bowl. A 100-year-old townhouse, kept for most of its life by a traditional textile merchant in Kyoto. You sit in the rooms they used. Three rooms, moving from the bright front of the house into a tearoom lit only by candles, with the garden through the window. Seven guests at most, on the floor or in a chair — whichever you prefer, no explanation needed. Bowls chosen for the day and the season, some over two hundred years old, some by potters working today. Every piece is selected by our founder, a designer and antiques dealer, and your host will tell you what you're holding. Matcha grown in Uji, blended to the preference of a tea school's grand master, prepared by a host trained in one of Japan's historic schools of tea. Forty-five minutes. It is unhurried, with no etiquette you can get wrong.

This is a tea ceremony held by candlelight. We turn the lights off for a simple reason: in the dark, you notice more — the sound of the water, the smell of the tea, the weight of the bowl in your hands. The house is a townhouse in Kyoto, about a hundred years old, kept for most of that time by a traditional textile merchant. The rooms you'll sit in are the rooms they used. You'll move through three of them. The first is bright, where your host meets you and explains what's going to happen. In the second, the light is lower, and you're served a welcome tea with a seasonal sweet. The third is the tearoom itself, lit only by candles, with the garden through the window. Seven guests at most. Then the host makes tea, and you drink it. The bowls are chosen for the day and season. Some are over two hundred years old, some by potters working today. In summer we use glass. Your host will tell you what you're holding. The matcha is grown in Uji and blended to the preference of a tea school's grand master. Your host trained in one of Japan's historic schools of tea. Forty-five minutes. It is unhurried, and there is no etiquette you can get wrong.

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• 開始から10分を過ぎると参加することができません

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.