Kyoto’s Green Tea and Art Worlds Meet at Fukujuen, in a VIP Tea Culture Salon Experience

Discover the Many Charms of Green Tea at Longstanding Kyoto Fixture Fukujuen

Over the city’s lengthy history, Kyoto has given rise to a great many lasting cultural practices and traditions. Japan’s green tea culture began and continues to be centered here. Fukujuen has been a fixture of this landscape since 1790, with its flagship store location in central Kyoto and tireless efforts to popularize Japanese green tea around the world.

A green tea heritage imbued with the traditional spirit of Japan

Each of the floors of the Fukujuen Kyoto Flagship Store is based around a different concept: the basement features a tea making experience, the first floor sells original Ujicha (Uji green tea) gifts, the second floor is home to a cafe offering Ujicha tea sweets and light meals, the third floor holds a French restaurant serving Ujicha dishes, the fourth a tearoom for Matcha experiences, and the fifth floor sells original tea ceremony accoutrements. In spring 2024, the Art Space Fukujuen was newly opened on the seventh floor.

The seventh floor Art Space Fukujuen, open since April 2024 (Art on exhibit is scheduled to change four times per year)

Discover the Intertwined Roots of Tea Culture and the Art World

Visitors to Art Space Fukujuen can take in art exhibitions featuring work by various artists centered around tea while delighting in Fukujuen’s own brew. Fukujuen believes that the joys of delicious tea and striking artwork are naturally paired, and this space was created with that in mind.

Dedicated staff are on hand for discussion as you view the exhibits

Tea culture is so embedded into daily life in Japan that “go for tea,” has long been used as a general expression to describe social outings for relaxed conversation, a testament to how long tea has been a cultural cornerstone of dialogue and social bonding. Here at the gallery, dedicated staff chat with guests while guiding them through an art experience paired with delicious tea.

Works by Chikuunsai Tanabe on display from Friday, October 25 to Sunday, December 22, 2024, under the theme 'Tradition and Challenge – From the First to the Fourth Generation of Chikuunsai.'

Art on exhibit is scheduled to change four times per year so that visitors can continue to enjoy fresh attention-grabbing works.

Explore tea-themed paintings, crafts, and artworks to gain fresh insights and discoveries about tea (works are available for purchase.)

Cultivate New Knowledge About Kyoto Tea Culture

After viewing the art in the gallery, move next to the ninth floor VIP room used to host special guests, which is off limits to the general public and has its own garden of tea trees. It also showcases masterpieces by renowned Japanese painters and a potter honored as a living national treasure.

The elegant VIP room, with a window view of the tea tree garden

The tea culture salon will be led by Akiko Ito, chief of Kyo no chagura at Fukujuen Kyoto flagship store, which offers various tea experiences, including making custom blended tea. A certified Japanese tea instructor and full-time Urasenke tea ceremony teacher, she actively promotes Japanese tea through classes and lectures. 

In addition to giving tea lectures at shops, hotels, and temples, she also promotes Japanese tea through the media

Tea Culture Salon with an Art and Tea Expert

The tea culture salon will explore various themes, including the art exhibits, tea history, and tea benefits. Ito will also brew tea chosen by the artist, reflecting the season and the art on display. A wide range of teas, including matcha, sencha, and gyokuro are available. During your visit, enjoy seasonal teas brewed in a variety of ways, such as new tea from late April to early May, cold matcha in summer, and freshly roasted hojicha in the colder months. 

The wait for the water to reach the right temperature is also part of the joy of brewing tea. "I hope people can see it as a delight rather than an inconvenience," says Ito

Ito says, "I hope you can broaden your world of tea through this experience and enjoy a life of art and tea at home." Through listening to her speak about tea, you'll discover tips for brewing delicious tea and savor the joy of tea time with freshly brewed tea.

Delicious green tea served with fresh wagashi confections from a local confectioner’s shop long beloved by the tea masters of Kyoto (wagashi served varies with the seasons)

One of the fundamental joys of tea ceremony is the chance to admire the bowls and other utensils the host has prepared for it. Fukujuen's Kyoto flagship store has a floor dedicated to their original lineup of such teawares. You can visit before or after your experience to see the actual items used, enhancing your overall tea experience. 

Enjoy an exciting experience with seasonal tea tastings and arrangements

Green tea features in each and every dish and beverage, from the welcome tea to the dessert. The word “tea” tends to naturally be associated with drinking, but Matsuda deftly defies this default to delight and astound with the revelation that it can be eaten as well.

Tea Plus Art Equals Joy

Traditionally in Japan, a room designed for gatherings has long been referred to as a chanoma, literally meaning “tea space.” Unfortunately, as Yoshinaga sees it, this centrality of the chanoma is fading from modern lifestyles, resulting in dwindling opportunities to enjoy great tea and great conversation. “We hoped to bring these opportunities back, to remind people of the pleasure of gathering over tea,” says Yoshinaga, “and that led to this new gallery space which hearkens back to the ancient association between tea and art in a modern way, in order to rekindle that interest.”

A place to immerse yourself in happiness with tea and beautiful art

Even long after it is over, the memories of this experience are sure to spark lively conversation with friends and family as you share them. Steep yourself in this unique chance to experience the intersection between Japan’s tea culture and art world at the Fukujuen flagship store in Kyoto.