Nara: Mindful Tasting of 5 Japanese Teas and Tea Ceremony

Compare five Nara-grown teas side by side, then move into the ceremony itself - from knowing tea to whisking a bowl of it, in one line. You do not simply learn the etiquette; you taste your bowl knowing the thinking behind omotenashi and the utensils. Nara makes Japan's tea whisks, and you take that home too. 1. You step into a machiya in Naramachi, where a host in kimono welcomes you into a tatami room lit through shoji. 2. Five Nara-grown teas are laid out side by side. Tasting them in turn, you explore each through aroma, flavour and roast. 3. Next, the basic etiquette and the thinking behind it - how to bow, how to handle the utensils. A seasonal wagashi (traditional Japanese sweet) is served, enjoyed by eye before tongue. 4. Your host whisks a bowl for you; take time with the scent, colour and finish. We then talk about the culture tea has shaped, and omotenashi at the centre of it. 5. Choose the bowl you like, warm your hands with hot water, then whisk your own matcha. 6. We show you how a chasen is made in Takayama in Nara, the source of some 95% of Japan's handmade tea whisks. 7. If you like, your Nara-born host will point you to shops and lanes no guidebook lists.

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