The Tea Tradition and Craft of Hida: A Unique Tea Experience with Masterful Woodcarving and Traditional Tea Rooms

A Unique Space Permeated with Tea Tradition and Craft Culture

Nestled in the historic townscape of Hida-Takayama, Kazehikaru is a unique space where people can commune with the forest and its blessings through artisanal crafts and tea. Experience Japanese culture to the fullest here, enjoying tea made with and served in beautiful handicraft utensils showcasing artisanal talent.

Kazehikaru, a fifteen minute walk from Takayama Station

Kazehikaru houses a first-floor gallery space and a second-floor tearoom. Tea ceremony places great emphasis on treating people, tea, and utensils alike all with great care and respect – making it in some ways an extension of the attitude of the artisans who craft those same utensils. Kazehikaru carries such tea ceremony accoutrements inspired by and forged from nature, and offers an experience in which the beauty of tea ceremony merge seamlessly with that of traditional crafts.

Local temple and shrine carpenters helped bring this unique interior space to life

The shop’s interior is dripping with artisanal luxury, decked out in natural materials crafted with masterful age-old techniques. The natural warmth of forest wood and soft texture of plaster create a place of absolute cozy repose.

Witness Woodcarving Craftsmanship Up Close

This plan offers the opportunity to watch a special demonstration by a master Hida woodcarver. Observe the delicate handiwork up close as a beautiful piece emerges from the raw wood right before your eyes. Hida’s woodcarvers produce a wide range of finished products, from luxury wall art to exquisite tableware.

Ayayuki Kosaka, local Hida woodcarver, demonstrates his technique

In the demonstration, the woodcarver uses various types of chisels and carving knives to craft geometric patterns including the hexagonal tessellation known as asanoha (hemp leaf). This kind of carving is not forced onto the wood, but done in dialogue with it – respecting the vital truth that pieces of even the same wood still have different individual qualities, and must be handled each on their own terms for the optimal final result. Wood has its own quirks and personality just like people do, and reading these quickly and accurately is crucial to carving these intricate patterns.

Cut by cut, the artisan gives the wood shape

Chat with the woodcarver to learn all about the deeper and finer points of the craft, the challenges of bridging artisanal tradition with modernity and the future, and the bonds with the forest this work fosters. Delight in a moment of craft luxury.

Carving tools, and the delicate asanoha (“hemp leaf”) pattern

Enjoyment of Authentic Sowa Style Tea Ceremony

After observing the wood carving experience, sit down to a tea ceremony at Kazehikaru. In the second floor tatami tearoom, learn all about the spirit of tea ceremony through instruction in brewing, serving, and enjoying matcha from the shop’s owner and Sowa style tea ceremony master Minotani.

Minotani performing tea ceremony

Japanese tea ceremony comes from many distinct traditions and lines of descent, referred to as schools or styles, each with their own aesthetic. The Sowa school was founded by Sowa Kanamori, a samurai and tea master from here in Hida Takayama. His style of tea ceremony found great popularity and influence in the salons of Japan’s imperial family and court nobles, including Emperor Go-Mizunoo (the 108th emperor of Japan). Because of the school’s preference for elegant accoutrements and its sophisticated aesthetics, it was nicknamed Hime Sowa, or “Sowa of Princesses.”

Washi paper windows bathe this modern traditional space in soft light

The words “tea ceremony” may very well call to mind images of kneeling in the formal seiza position, but Kazehikaru uses tables and chairs for a more relaxed and informal experience. Enjoy the beauty and spirituality of tea ceremony without being bound by formality.

Stillness and Movement: a Tea Ceremony in Two Parts

The tea ceremony experience progresses through two phases. Begin by watching Tea Master Minotani perform otemae, the ceremony of brewing and serving, with elegant artistic movements in silence. The rush and excitement of watching the woodcarving gradually gives way to the soothing tranquility of the tea ceremony.

The elegant silence of the tea ceremony

The tools and equipment used are also local craft creations, and by handling them yourself you can feel the warmth of the work. These accoutrements are changed with the seasons, and the sweets that accompany the tea are also matched in seasonal color to fully bring out the visual pleasure of the ceremony. Delight in these light sweet treats that pay homage to Takayama’s seasons, and relish a space that melds tradition with modern comfort.

Experiencing the depth of tea ceremony with an instructor

After your meal, try your hand at brewing matcha yourself under the master’s careful guidance. With her instruction, you will find yourself making excellent matcha in no time. You’ll use different tea bowls than the ones she served you with, so be sure to take a moment to appreciate how serveware alone can change the aesthetic and experience.

A Place of Affinities and Connections: People to Forest, Tea to Crafts

Kazehikaru’s tea room is designed to bridge authentic tradition with the comforts of modern space, drawing on the tea ceremony ideal of “ichizakonryu” – performing together as a unitin unison – so that host and guests play off each other to create a singular and unified experience. Likewise, woodcarving only reaches perfection through dialogue between the carver and the wood. The forests of Hida and the minds of its people playing off of each other in mutual support has given rise to this unique space.

The beauty of the utensils is best understood by using them

Soak up the warmth of Kosaka’s wood carving creations together with the tranquility and hospitality of tea ceremony with all five senses. Enjoy your favorite bowl at home and reflect on your joyful memories of the woods of Hida Takayama, the changing seasons, and the rich depth of the area’s craft traditions. The resonance between tea and natural wood, the forest and people, is sure to illuminate your life for years to come.