Whisk Your Own Matcha
Matcha, Sushi & Ramen —
One Kitchen,
One Group,
One Day
in Arashiyama
Most travelers have to choose:
a tea experience here,
a cooking class there.
In our home kitchen in Arashiyama, you do both —
whisk your own bowl of Uji matcha,
then roll sushi and make ramen from scratch,
all in one private session.
Just your group,
up to four guests,
and the two of us.
Not a Formal Tea Ceremony — and That's the Point
This is not a formal tea ceremony (sado).
There are no strict rules to memorize and no kneeling for an hour.
It is a casual matcha experience,
and we designed it that way on purpose.
We believe the first thing matcha should give you is its taste.
Many of our guests have never tried real matcha before —
so before anything else,
we want you to whisk a bowl with your own hands and drink it while it is still warm and fresh.
The etiquette can come later;
we hand you a small guide (PDF) to take home,
so the culture travels with you.
If you are looking for a formal tea ceremony with full traditional protocol,
Kyoto has wonderful teachers for that —
and we are happy to point you to them.
If you want to understand matcha by making it and tasting it,
you are in the right place.
So if we set aside the formal rules —
what do we keep? That is worth explaining.
Not sure which one fits your trip?
We wrote an honest comparison of a
tea ceremony and a matcha experience in Kyoto.
Why We Do This —
Our Own Casual "Kaiseki"
In the 16th century,
a tea master named Sen no Rikyu shaped the Japanese way of tea into what it still is today.
At its heart, it was never about luxury or performance.
It was about hospitality:
preparing a simple, seasonal meal with care, sharing a bowl of tea, and treating each gathering as something that happens only once —
an idea the Japanese call ichigo-ichie, "one time, one meeting."
In the world of tea, the meal served before matcha is called kaiseki.
Food and tea were never two separate things —
they are one continuous act of welcoming a guest.
Our class —
sushi, ramen, and a bowl of matcha you whisk yourself —
is our own casual homage to that idea.
We do not claim the form of kaiseki:
there are no lacquered trays and no long procession of courses.
We inherit the spirit, not the etiquette.
Cook a meal together with care.
Share it at one table.
Finish with a bowl of tea.
And remember that this particular day, with these particular people, will not come again.
Here is an honest confession:
like many Japanese people, we ourselves did not really know matcha for most of our lives.
We drank matcha lattes and loved matcha sweets —
but a properly whisked bowl of ceremonial-grade matcha?
We only met it as adults.
And it surprised us.
Guests from Europe often tell us that matcha back home is expensive, wildly popular —
and yet somehow not as good as they hoped.
We understand.
What is sold abroad is often a different thing from what a good Kyoto tea shop sells.
Here, the real thing is not a luxury.
It is an everyday pleasure —
and that is exactly what we want to put in your hands.
So at our table, taste comes first, etiquette second.
We will show you just enough to make a beautiful bowl —
the rest of the time is yours to simply enjoy it.
Real Matcha, Real Tools
What you whisk matters.
We use:
Ceremonial-grade Uji matcha from Ryuoen,
a long-established tea shop in central Kyoto (Teramachi-Nijo).
This is the matcha we drink ourselves —
not a cooking-grade powder.
A tetsubin cast-iron kettle by OIGEN,
a Nambu ironware maker founded in 1852 in Iwate.
Water heated in iron takes on a soft,
rounded taste.
Bamboo chasen (whisk) and chashaku (tea scoop) —
the same simple tools tea people in Japan have used for centuries.
And one small pleasure we insist on:
you choose your own tea bowl.
We keep twelve chawan of different shapes,
glazes and moods.
Pick the one that speaks to you —
that bowl is yours for the session.
This is our small way of practicing ichigo-ichie:
this bowl,
this day,
this one meeting.
What You Will Learn
We whisk together,
side by side,
and share the small points that change everything:
- Why we warm the bowl and the whisk first — and how
- How much matcha to use, and how to measure it with the chashaku
- The right water temperature (hint: not boiling) and how much to pour
- How to move the whisk — the wrist, the rhythm, the sound
- What a beautiful bowl of matcha looks like: the fine foam, the color
- How to hold the bowl and how to drink, the simple way
By the end,
you will have made a bowl you can be proud of —
and you will be able to do it again at home with nothing more than a whisk and good matcha.
Part of Your Cooking Class
The matcha experience is an add-on to both of our courses:
Fully Vegan, By Nature —
No Substitutions Needed
If you are vegan or vegetarian, here is something worth knowing:
this tea time requires zero modifications.
Matcha is nothing but powdered tea leaves.
The sweets we serve alongside it —
warabi mochi dusted with kinako —
are plant-based exactly as they have been for generations:
warabi starch and roasted soybean flour.
Nothing was swapped out to "make it vegan."
It simply is, and always was.
If you have traveled in Japan as a vegan, you know the constant, quiet anxiety:
hidden fish stock, unclear labels, well-meaning staff who are not quite sure.
Our tea time is the opposite of that.
Every ingredient on the table is explained, down to the sweets —
the same promise we make across our entire vegan class.
Choose the vegan course, add the matcha experience, and the entire session —
ramen, sushi or gyoza, sweets, and tea —
is fully plant-based, in a private kitchen where no one has to double-check anything.
Traditional course —
wagyu, sushi,
and ramen.
Either way,
the rhythm is the same:
cook together,
eat together,
and finish (or begin) with a bowl of matcha you whisked yourself.
One group per session,
always.
FAQ
Q: Can I do matcha, sushi and ramen in one class in Kyoto?
A: Yes. Our private class in Arashiyama combines a hands-on matcha
experience with sushi and ramen making in a single session, for one
group of up to four guests.
Q: Is this a traditional tea ceremony?
A: No. This is a casual matcha experience focused on taste and
technique, not formal etiquette. You whisk and drink your own bowl. We
provide a take-home PDF about matcha customs for those who want to go
deeper.
Q: What matcha do you use?
A: Ceremonial-grade Uji matcha from Ryuoen, a long-established tea shop
in central Kyoto. We use a Nambu ironware tetsubin kettle by OIGEN, a
bamboo chasen and chashaku, and you choose your tea bowl from twelve
different chawan.
Q: Is the matcha experience vegan?
A: Yes. Matcha is purely plant-based. Combined with our vegan course,
the entire session is fully vegan.
Q: Do I need any experience?
A: None at all. Most of our guests are whisking matcha for the first
time. We guide you through every step, side by side.
Q: How long does it take and how much does it cost?
A: The matcha experience adds about 30–40 minutes to your class and
costs ¥2,000 per person as an add-on to either course.
Q: Are the tea sweets vegan?
A: Yes. We serve warabi mochi with kinako — warabi starch and roasted
soybean flour, both naturally plant-based. Nothing is substituted; the
sweets have always been vegan. We explain every ingredient during the class.
Q: Is this connected to the tea ceremony tradition?
A: In spirit, yes — we draw on the tea world's idea that a meal and a bowl
of matcha belong together, and on ichigo-ichie, treasuring a meeting that
happens only once. But we deliberately skip the formal etiquette. Taste
comes first here. If you want the full formal tradition, we recommend a
proper tea ceremony class in Kyoto — and we have written an honest
comparison to help you choose.
One group.
One kitchen.
One bowl you whisked yourself.
Add the matcha experience to your vegan or traditional class —
we will have the kettle warm.
Fresh seafood,
Wagyu beef.
The flavors of a Japanese home kitchen,
made by your hands.
One group per session.
Maximum 4 guests.
Japanese home cooking, without compromise
This class is for guests who want to cook the way Japanese families actually cook — with fresh seasonal seafood, Kuroge Wagyu beef, and the kind of flavors that take years to get right.
No substitutions.
No shortcuts.
Just real Japanese ingredients, explained clearly, cooked together.
Note : This class contains raw fish & eggs & meat.
Shoyu Ramen & Wagyu Sushi & Matcha
Experience the best of Japanese cuisine in one unforgettable meal.
Start with our signature Shoyu Ramen, featuring a rich, savory soy sauce broth full of deep umami.
Then enjoy two premium sushi styles: elegant Nigiri Sushi showcasing the natural flavor of fresh fish on hand-pressed seasoned rice, and luxurious Wagyu Maki Sushi made with tender, melt-in-your-mouth Japanese Wagyu beef rolled with rice, nori, and fresh vegetables.
Complete this perfect Japanese experience with a traditional tea time — premium vibrant Matcha and delightfully chewy Warabi Mochi dusted with fragrant kinako.
・Duration: about 2.5 hours
・Fee: ¥12,000 per person
・Small groups only（Up to 4 people）
100% Plant-Based, Dashi-Free,
Safe for Vegans & Vegetarians
Every ingredient explained.
For travelers who need to know exactly what is in their food.
One group per session. Maximum 4 guests.
Japan is not easy for vegans.
We know.
Hidden fish stock in broths.
Unclear labels.
Well-meaning restaurant staff who are not sure what is in the dish.
Many vegan travelers spend their entire trip in Japan anxious about what they are eating.
At our class, you will always know exactly what is in your food.
We explain every ingredient. Nothing is assumed. Nothing is hidden.
Vegan Soy Sauce & Miso Ramen & Gyoza with Matcha
Experience authentic Japanese ramen and gyoza made 100% plant-based.
Our signature Vegan Shoyu and Miso ramens feature rich, layered broths crafted from traditional fermented soy sauce and miso, slow-simmered vegetables, kombu, and shiitake mushrooms — delivering deep, satisfying umami without a single animal ingredient.
Paired with crispy-outside, juicy-inside vegetable gyoza, this satisfying main course is followed by a traditional Japanese tea time: premium vibrant Matcha and soft, chewy Warabi Mochi dusted with fragrant kinako.
A complete vegan journey through classic Japanese flavors and desserts.
・Duration: about 2 hours
・Fee: ¥12,000 per person
・Small groups only（Up to 4 people）
Vegan Soy Sauce Ramen & Sushi with Matcha
Enjoy a complete vegan Japanese feast featuring our signature Vegan Shoyu Ramen with its rich, savory soy sauce broth full of deep umami.
Savor two styles of fresh sushi: Vegan Maki Sushi filled with our special homemade "vegan meat-miso" (firm tofu and Hatcho miso) and crunchy vegetables, plus interactive Vegan Temaki Sushi where you hand-roll your own cone-shaped sushi with nori, seasoned rice, and colorful seasonal vegetables.
Finish with a traditional Japanese tea time — premium vibrant Matcha and delightfully chewy Warabi Mochi dusted with fragrant kinako.
A deeply satisfying, fun, and authentic plant-based experience.
・Duration: about 2.5 hours
・Fee: ¥12,000 per person
・Small groups only（Up to 4 people）