Takayama: Table-Style Tea Ceremony & Customizable City Tour

Experience tea ceremony without the need to kneel or follow intimidating formalities. At ChaYou, your English-speaking tea instructor will demonstrate the preparation of matcha, introduce the utensils and seasonal setting, and explain the hospitality, aesthetics, and consideration for others expressed through each gesture. Enjoy a Japanese sweet before preparing your own bowl of matcha at the table. Choose the tea ceremony alone or extend your experience with a customizable tour led by the same host, who is also your local guide. Select the places you want to visit in advance or discuss your interests during the tea experience, then explore Takayama with an itinerary designed around you.

1. 1

   Stop 1

   1.5 hours

   Your tea ceremony experience takes place at ChaYou, a welcoming salon in Takayama. Seated comfortably at a table with no kneeling required, you will watch a tea preparation demonstration, learn about the utensils and seasonal setting, enjoy a Japanese sweet, and prepare your own bowl of matcha. Your host will also explain the Japanese aesthetics, hospitality, and consideration for others expressed through tea ceremony.

2. 2

   Takayama Jinya

   1 hour

   Depending on your chosen itinerary, Takayama Jinya can be included as an optional stop. Explore Japan’s only surviving Edo-period government office complex and see its administrative rooms, residential spaces, kitchen, and rice storehouses while learning how the shogunate governed the Hida region.

3. 3

   Sanmachi Suji

   1 hour

   Takayama’s historic Sanmachi district can be included as an optional stop based on your interests and available time. Walk past traditional wooden merchant houses, lattice-fronted shops, sake breweries, cafés, and stores selling regional specialties while learning how Takayama developed as a prosperous merchant town.

4. 4

   Stop 4

   1 hour

   For morning itineraries, you may choose to visit the Miyagawa Morning Market. Stroll beside the river and browse stalls selling seasonal produce, pickles, spices, Japanese sweets, local crafts, and Takayama souvenirs. Availability depends on your selected route, starting time, weather, and market operating hours.

5. 5

   Stop 5

   1 hour

   The Higashiyama Temple Area can be selected for a quieter walking route away from Takayama’s busiest streets. Explore part of a hillside district where temples were built or relocated during the development of the town, and enjoy a peaceful walk through its historic and spiritual landscape. The route will be adjusted to your interests and available time

6. 6

   Hida Minzoka Mura Folk Village (Hida no Sato)

   1.5 hours

   Hida Folk Village can be included as an optional stop for guests interested in traditional mountain life and architecture. This open-air museum contains more than 30 historic buildings, including thatched-roof and gassho-style houses, with displays introducing the tools, crafts, and daily lives of Hida’s farming communities. Visiting depends on your chosen itinerary and opening hours.

7. 7

   Hida Furukawa Old Town

   1 hour

   Hida Furukawa may be selected as part of a longer customized itinerary, subject to transportation schedules and available time. This peaceful historic town is known for its white-walled storehouses, traditional wooden architecture, and the Seto Canal, where colorful carp can be seen from spring through autumn.

• 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
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

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