Pairing Experience of Rare, Organic Japanese Tea and Sweets at a Tranquil Tearoom in Kyoto

Experience a New World of Tea in a 100-Year-Old House

In Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City, on the east side of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, stands a century-old Japanese house transformed into a tranquil tearoom. Once the home of the Japanese-style painter Goun Nishimura, tearoom toka features traditional tatami mats used in Kyoto temples, shrines, and ryokan (traditional inns), and soft lighting by a renowned designer. Blending modern craftsmanship with traditional Japanese aesthetics, it creates a sustainable and inviting space.

A surprisingly grand appearance for a tearoom

Start your experience by tasting the original toka_seisei craft tea, tearoom toka’s signature product. This raw Japanese tea, made from single-origin leaves and Kyoto water, skips heating or drying, and is produced without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Organic Japanese tea like this one is very rare, making up just 6% of Japan's tea production.

Tearoom for delightful pairings. A quiet space with soft lighting

toka_seisei is a bottled craft tea exclusively served at top restaurants in Kyoto and Tokyo. As its temperature changes, it releases aromas of forest, plants, spices, and hints of kelp, resembling the experience of wine tasting. This experience starts with a relaxed sip of toka_seisei as a welcome tea.

Enjoy a taste of tearoom toka’s exclusive bottled tea, not for sale to the public, as a welcome drink

Pairing Sweets with Rare Tea Flavors

Experience the tea and sweets pairing in a private six-seat tearoom featuring a long table of solid Japanese horse chestnut wood and vintage Niels O. Moller chairs. You will be served two Japanese teas, starting with a hot one of your choice from a seasonal selection. Take in the aroma, listen to staff recommendations, and select tea leaves that match your mood. After steeping and enjoying the fragrance, watch as your tea is expertly brewed before you for a delightful taste.

Indulge in vintage teas unavailable elsewhere

Choose from a special selection of vintage teas for your second brew, crafted to redefine your perception of Japanese tea. Harvested over five years ago, these teas were previously unavailable on the market. Organically grown, they develop a distinct aged flavor over time, preserved carefully by tearoom toka. This concept of aging Japanese teas and offering vintage selections is exclusive to tearoom toka, making this a rare and unique experience unavailable elsewhere.

Pairing limited edition organic sweets (photo is for reference only)

Choose from four types of tea sweets to accompany each tea. The selection includes wagashi, handmade fresh every morning by a renowned craftsman in Kyoto, with shapes and flavors changing with the seasons. These organic treats are also suitable for vegans.

Other options include vegan tarte tatin and organic cacao, including the rare Criollo variety, which accounts for only about 1 percent of the world's total production. Also available is an assortment of Kyoto's finest pickles, slow-pickled using traditional methods without any additives. The tea sweets feature authentic flavors, and ensure even vegans and vegetarians can enjoy tea pairings with ease.

Explore Tea and Awaken Your Senses

This tearoom is dedicated to organic tea leaves, believing that pesticide- and chemical-free tea leaves express unique "terroir," offering the pleasure of tasting the individuality of each variety. After experiencing the true taste of tea in the tearoom, you will learn how to brew a delicious cup at home. Additionally, explore differences in tea production areas and methods, trivia about Japanese tea culture and history, and insights into the efforts of organic tea farmers.

Discover the culture and history of Japanese tea

At tearoom toka, where brewing sencha at lower temperatures is preferred to draw out its aroma, hobin, handle-less teapots, are commonly used. By holding the teapot as if embracing it, then pouring the tea while feeling its warmth, you can connect with and find solace in the tea.

A hobin, a special tea utensil in Japanese tea ceremony, gently transfers the warmth of the tea through your palm

Comfortable Tea Utensils at the Gallery

Back at Gallery Nichinichi, join a talk on tea utensils, and experience the charm of Japanese craftsmanship. Explore tea sets, utensils, and tableware handcrafted by Japanese artisans, as well as tea leaves. The rich variety of tea ceremony utensils makes it fun to pick items that suit your daily life. 

Visitors can choose tea utensils from renowned kilns across Japan and artists worldwide

Choose the right teapot and utensils for your tea leaves—steamed sencha and kamairi tea each have their own. Whether it is porcelain for minimal flavor transfer or ceramic for appreciating the changing colors of the utensil, the right selection enhances the taste, making tea time more enjoyable.

A luxurious space filled utensils for enjoying tea

Apart from tea utensils and leaves, the store offers a range of items, including okaki (Japanese rice crackers) and sweets perfect for tea pairing. If you are considering bringing Japanese tea into your daily routine, why not choose something you fancy here?

Quietly Satisfy Your Curiosity with Tea

Take home two types of tea leaves as souvenirs, both bestsellers at tearoom toka. The first, the popular Zairai from Asamiya, Shiga Prefecture, boasts an elegant and robust flavor. The second is Asatsuyu, an Uji variety also recognized as natural gyokuro. Its flavor differs depending on whether it is freshly picked or matured, so it is suggested to let it age a bit before savoring. Enjoy brewing these teas at home, recalling the techniques learned during this experience.

Dive deeper into the world of tea here

Tasting Japanese tea in a serene tearoom is akin to meditation—quiet, yet filled with discoveries. Brewing a cup for yourself can be a moment of encouragement or a comforting sip amidst daily chaos. Why not come discover the charm of Japanese tea and crafts at tearoom toka?