Kyoto is the beating heart of Japanese tea. Join Context Travel Expert Nick Nauber on an enlightening walk to explore this age-old Japanese ritual. You’ll dive deeper into the traditions, history, and practices behind tea rituals while discovering the connection between your beautiful natural surroundings and the tea you’ll drink. Starting at the Marutamachi Police Box, you’ll begin your tea odyssey by stepping through the historic Ainomachi Entrance and heading to the Shūsui-tei Teahouse within the Imperial Palace’s grounds. You’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the over 200-year-old teahouse’s serene ambiance and hear stories about grand tea receptions hosted by the Kujo family centuries ago. You’ll trace the origins of tea cultivation from Southern China to Japan when Kyoto became a hub for cultivating ”Honchya” or ”original” tea. At the Sugawara-in Tenmangu Shrine, you’ll learn one of the secrets of tea production: the significance of choosing water from specific sources like underground freshwater streams, and the impact of sunlight on tea leaves’ taste. You’ll find the Rokkaku-dō Temple, with its distinctive six-sided roof, where you’ll hear about the Japanese art of flower arranging (ikebana). As our tour reaches an end, you’ll enjoy a final sip at the Horaido Tea Stall, renowned for inventing gen-mai-cha, a popular tea infused with roasted rice grains. Along the way, you’ll have a chance to: • Learn why different teas are served in tea houses and restaurants, depending on the season • Discover the ​​three main elements connected with a tea ritual and understand the importance of aesthetics within the practice • Enjoy Yamabiko restaurant’s fusion curry-udon, a blend of traditional udon noodles in sweet Japanese curry broth, with secret spices and toppings • Understand the Japanese fondness for tea, which makes up half of their beverage consumption • Discover the role of Japan’s climate in tea production, and how Uji’s hot and humid summers and mineral-rich irrigation led to it becoming a center for tea cultivation • Unravel the meaning of “wabi-sabi,” and learn why the Japanese celebrate the imperfections in nature • Grasp the importance of brewing time and uncover the secret of preparing matcha tea Join Nick Nauber on this tea-infused journey through Japan’s tea capital, where every sip unveils layers of history, culture, and craftsmanship.