Japanese Tea Culture Experience & Tea-Based Lunch in Sakai, Osaka — Sen no Rikyu's Hometown

Discover the Origins of Japanese Tea Culture at an Established Tea Shop in Sakai, Osaka

Established in Sakai, Osaka — the birthplace and hometown of the great tea master and tea-ceremony founder Sen no Rikyu — in 1850, Tsuboichi Seicha Honpo is a prestigious tea shop that has provided high-quality tea for over 170 years. Throughout its long history, it has employed skilled tea masters to select, roast, and blend tea leaves, and it remains committed to preserving and developing the culture of enjoying tea.

As a trading hub since ancient times, the port city of Sakai is a strategic location for a tea shop like Tsuboichi Seicha. Facing the Kishu-Kaido road that links the southern part of Osaka with Wakayama, Sakai prospered as an international trading port during Japan's Warring States Period. Here, trading and cultural exchange with countries such as Spain and Portugal flourished. Even today, Sakai still has a reputation for commercial trade; tea leaves from all over Japan make their way here.

Tsuboichi Seicha Honpo believes in the power of tea to connect people

The name "Tsuboichi" is an amalgamation of two names. "Tsubo" comes from the town of Tsuboi in Osaka's Izumi City, where Tsuboichi's founder Ichibei Tanimoto ran a tea plantation, while "ichi" comes from the name "Ichibei." The shop's logo depicts a tea urn called chatsubo. 

Currently, Junichi Tanimoto has stepped up as the shop's fifth-generation head. His predecessor, the fourth-generation head, brought fresh new ideas to the local tea-drinking culture, such as being the first in Japan to import Taiwanese oolong tea for commercial use. Balancing innovation and tradition, Tsuboichi Seicha works to support and protect traditional tea culture, tea-production technologies, and tea farmers.

Decorating the special room for workshops are an assortment of tea utensils and a signboard saying "cha" ("tea") that survived wartime fires

Tsuboichi Seicha Honpo, the brand's main shop, is housed in a 340-year-old historical building. The building's pillars made of cherry wood and the ajiro-kabe bamboo walls with intricate wickerwork patterns are so masterfully designed that architects go out of their way to visit Tsuboichi Seicha Honpo to see them. The courtyard garden that can be seen from the back of the shop is a relaxing space where one can feel in harmony with nature.

Guests can enjoy views of the courtyard garden from inside the shop

A Detailed Explanation Covering the History and Benefits of Tea

To start the experience, at a special private room on the second floor, you will enjoy two different kinds of fermented kombucha as welcome drinks. Although the acidity levels of both drinks differ, they both have a refreshing aftertaste.

Tea is said to have antioxidant properties and numerous health benefits. It's rich in catechins, which can prevent lifestyle-related diseases and tooth decay; theanine, which aids in relaxation; dietary fiber for internal regulation; and vitamins that can prevent colds and beautify the skin. These components all work in synergy to improve body health.

Taste two different types of kombucha and compare their flavors

After the welcome drinks, it's time for a primer on tea from an experienced tea master. Only the cream of the crop are selected to handle such explanatory sessions: qualified tea appraisers with the skill of selecting the finest, highest-quality tea leaves of the season and/or licensed Japanese tea instructors. Currently, there are only less than 50 qualified tea appraisers in the entirety of Japan.

In this fascinating explainer, you'll take a deep dive into the world of tea, learning about topics such as the history of Sakai and tea, the tea leaves that Tsuboichi Seicha Honpo uses, and the difference between black tea and Japanese tea.

Taste Different Japanese Teas Brewed by Skilled Tea Masters

Next, a professional expert in Japanese tea will show you the stages of the tea-making process. A variety of dried tea leaves will be laid out on a table — watch how the leaves change in appearance when hot water is poured over them. Through interactive demonstrations, discover how tea leaves differ depending on the region where they are produced, the intensity of heat that it's subjected to, soil quality, and so on. Use your senses to see, feel, smell, touch, and taste how these leaves differ in shape, color, aroma, and so on.

Observe up close how a professional tea master distinguishes different tea leaves

Relax as you take in the rich aroma of tea leaves. You can also try roasting tea leaves yourself in an earthenware pot called horoku until they become fragrant. If you purchase a horoku for yourself (available for an additional fee as an optional add-on), you can roast tea leaves on your own and make homemade hojicha (roasted green tea) anytime you like.

A blissful time taking in the fragrant scent of tea leaves

The demonstrations will also teach you the secrets to brewing delicious tea. When brewing tea, remember not to rush. Wait for the tea leaves to open, and pour hot water in three batches, making sure to pour a little at a time to bring out the tea's optimal flavor. With just a bit of extra effort, you can greatly enhance the taste of your tea.

Watch and learn from a tea master how to brew delicious tea in a teapot

Indulge in Carefully Prepared Japanese Food and Sweets Made with High-Grade Matcha for Lunch

After learning about the tea-making process, have lunch with a view of the courtyard on the first floor. Partake in a Japanese meal set with onigiri rice balls and an assortment of small dishes. Finally, as a Wabunka-exclusive treat, enjoy a dessert of sweets made with plenty of high-grade matcha.

A colorful assortment of small dishes(The contents of meals vary depending on the season)

For dessert, sweets such as matcha roll cake and hojicha ice cream complement a warm bowl of matcha prepared by a Japanese tea expert. Enjoy the contrast of the desserts' soft, gentle sweetness and texture with the umami flavor of matcha.

A decadent Wabunka-exclusive special dessert plate of sweets made with high-grade matcha

As an optional add-on (additional charges apply), you can have your dessert plate changed to a seasonal matcha parfait, if you prefer. Exclusively available at Tsuboichi Seicha's Sakai main shop, this exquisite dessert is simply a culinary masterpiece. With matcha jelly made from Tsuboichi Seicha Honpo's signature matcha brand Sakai no Mukashi as one of its ingredients, this parfait will enable you to enjoy Tsuboichi's high-grade tea to your heart's content.

The seasonal parfait (available as an optional add-on) comes with monaka wafers bearing the word "cha" (tea), like the shop's iconic signboard

A Profound Encounter with Tea Culture at Sakai, Sen no Rikyu's Hometown

This experience is a gateway to the world of Japanese tea. Learning directly from a skilled master, you'll be able to understand with all your senses the appeal of Japanese tea. After the experience, how about integrating your newfound appreciation for tea into your daily life? Making tea drinking a habit will surely invigorate your lifestyle.

This experience conveys just how valuable tea is; you will surely leave with an increased appreciation for tea

Since the days of foreign trade in ancient times, when high-quality goods were unloaded at the port, Sakai has been a leader in tea-drinking culture. It's thanks to tea masters who diligently preserved tradition but innovated with the times that Japanese people can casually enjoy tea in their daily lives, so visit Sakai to experience for yourself the local tea culture in the land that nurtured the great Sen no Rikyu!

With the tea leaves and sweets that you’ll receive as presents, you can also enjoy tea time at home, on your own