Taiho-an Teahouse

In short

A teahouse run by Uji City on the banks of the Uji River. Built to promote Uji Tea and spread the tea ceremony, it was named "Taiho-an" because it faces the Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in Temple. Municipally operated teahouses like this are rare in Japan.

• ​Authentic Tea Preparation​​: Instructors from the tea ceremony association perform the tea preparation, so there is no need to worry even if you do not know the etiquette. The instructors' schools, such as Urasenke and Omotesenke, change depending on the day
• ​Make-Your-Own Tea Experience​​: After watching the instructor's preparation and enjoying sweets and tea, you whisk your own tea (or brew it in the case of sencha) in the ryureiseki and savor it
• ​Matcha Days and Sencha Days​​: Days are divided between the two, and on sencha days, you can savor sencha and gyokuro

History and Highlights

​Taiho-an Teahouse​ is a municipal teahouse in Uji, located on the banks of the Uji River. Built to promote Uji Tea and spread appreciation for the tea ceremony, it is an authentic teahouse named "Taiho-an" because it faces the Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in Temple. The city runs it so that visitors can casually enjoy authentic Uji Tea, and municipally operated teahouses like this are rare in Japan.

The building is a wooden structure built in the sukiya-zukuri style, which carries on the traditions of Japanese architecture. It features a honseki (main small room) of three and a half tatami mats, a large room of eight and a half tatami mats, and a ryureiseki (table-and-chair seating area) where guests can enjoy tea while seated on chairs. Instructors from the tea ceremony association perform authentic tea preparations, so there is no need to worry even if you do not know the etiquette. The instructors' schools, such as Urasenke and Omotesenke, change depending on the day.

Authentic Uji Tea is served with seasonal sweets. The hot water used is soft water boiled for a long time in a kettle over charcoal. The tea bowls are Kyoto-ware Raku ware, with patterns chosen to match the season. Days are divided into matcha (powdered green tea) days and sencha (steeped green tea) days; on sencha days, you can savor sencha with its refreshing aroma and refined astringency, or gyokuro with its rich fragrance and mellow umami.

Viewing and Experience Highlights

• ​Facing the Phoenix Hall​​: True to its name, it stands in a location directly facing the Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in Temple. Stopping for a bowl of tea at a teahouse with ties to the Phoenix Hall after visiting Byodo-in Temple makes for a classic Uji day.
• ​Make-Your-Own Tea Ceremony Experience​​: In the tea ceremony experience, you first observe the instructor's preparation and enjoy sweets and tea. Next, you whisk your own tea (or brew it in the case of sencha) and savor it. The experience takes place in the ryureiseki.
• ​Koicha (Thick Tea) and Usucha (Thin Tea)​​: Typical matcha is usucha. The koicha served in the main room is kneaded with about three times the amount of tea used for usucha, and a single bowl is shared and passed around. This allows you to experience the differences in tea drinking styles.

Walking Tips

It is about a 10-minute walk from Uji Station on the Keihan Uji Line and about 15 minutes from Uji Station on the JR Nara Line. The Uji City Tourist Center is located right in front of Taiho-an Teahouse. Situated right beside Kyoto Prefectural Uji Park, it can be combined with visits to Byodo-in Temple, Uji Bridge, and Chazuna, which conveys the history of tea, as part of a stroll centered around Uji Tea.