Tea Houses

Approx. Time: 5 hours
Activity Level: Easy to Moderate

Kanazawa has a long history in the practice of the Tea Ceremony. Of all the elements of this ancient practice, the most important is the setting. The Tea Ceremony is (among other things) intended as an escape from the everyday rush and bustle, a time to reflect on life, enjoy the sound of the chattering sparrow, the wind through the trees and perhaps (if the Tea Master had a particularly capable gardener) the trickle of a garden stream. Kanazawa has quite a few such tea houses (chaya) in their tea-gardens (chaniwa) where teachers of tea still do as they always have, providing a quite sanctuary for their guests to contemplate as they make tea. One old tea house is on the edge of Kenrokuen, another in the quiet gardens of City Monde Hotel. Tea Ceremony involves a fair amount of kneeling and the partaking of a traditional cake and slightly bitter but refreshing green tea. This tea is, by the way, full of Vitamin E and, it has been shown, helps prevent cancer.

Courtesy of Japan Tourism Board.

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