Calligraphy and Matcha Tea Ceremony
Description
The activity is located in a quiet residential district just 4 minutes away by train from Shibuya Station in Tokyo. The house you'll enter has a dry garden and traditional interior, exuding the perfect ambience for tea ceremony and calligraphy experiences. At the start of the workshop you will put a jinbei (traditional light clothing) on and will first practice grinding solid ink and basic brush strokes. When you're confident enough to write the Japanese kanji character of your choice, you will choose between applying calligraphy art on a kakejiku hanging scroll or a wooden plate in the shape of a votive tablet or a mini paddle for Japanese hanetsuki (a type of badminton game). Take the piece of art with you as a memory from the calligraphy workshop. The activity will continue with a tea ceremony in which the instructor will prepare matcha green tea in front of you using traditional tea utensils. You will learn the etiquette of drinking tea and will enjoy seasonal wagashi sweets.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
Reviews(9)
We had an absolutely excellent calligraphy and tea ceremony class in Tokyo! Our teacher, Satomi was incredibly methodical, patient, and knowledgeable. She took the time to explain the history and technique behind each movement, making the experience deeply engaging and easy to follow. Her warm hospitality and patient guidance made us feel incredibly welcome. If you are looking for an authentic and high-quality cultural experience in Tokyo, we highly recommend booking a class with her at Oh Mama.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and for taking the time to share your experience. I am truly honored by your kind words. It means a great deal to hear that you enjoyed both the calligraphy and tea ceremony, and that my explanations helped make the experience engaging and easy to follow. Sharing the history and traditions behind these cultural arts is one of my greatest joys. I am delighted that you felt welcome and comfortable throughout the experience. It was a pleasure meeting you, and I sincerely appreciate your recommendation. I hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again on a future visit to Japan.
This was a wonderful experience! The teacher was excellent at explaining concepts! The matcha tea experience was a true cultural experience!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and for joining my Calligraphy and Matcha Tea Ceremony experience. I am delighted to hear that my explanations were clear and helpful, and that you felt the matcha tea experience was a true cultural experience. It was my pleasure to share a part of Japanese culture with you. I truly appreciate your kind feedback and hope to welcome you again on your next visit to Japan.
It was a wonderful experience, Satomi (apologies if I misspelled it!) Was such a gracious hostess and was so wonderfully patient with my son (11yo) and I. It was a beautiful experience and the perfect way to finish our Japan trip.
Thank you so much for your kind review! I am truly delighted to hear that you and your son had such a wonderful experience here. It means a lot to me that I could be part of the perfect ending to your Japan trip. We hope to welcome you both again someday!
This was an outstanding experience. I actually made a mistake booking on a date when I would be home in the US, but she graciously took me in for a private lesson, and explained so much about calligraphy, and gave me all the chances to practice I wanted before creating a beautiful scroll with the message I chose. The tea ceremony was very meaningful and beautiful. Best experience ever!
Thank you very much for your wonderful and thoughtful review! It truly means a lot to me that you took the time to share your experience. I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed both the calligraphy practice and the tea ceremony, and that they felt meaningful to you. It was my pleasure to share these aspects of Japanese culture with you and to support you in creating your scroll. Thank you again for your generous words—I hope our paths cross again someday!
It was a delightful chance to learn about these ancient Japanese arts. Satomi welcomed me warmly, despite my mistakenly booking the class for 2 days later (after I return to the USA). She told me much of the history of calligraphy, then allowed me to practice under her expert guidance until I could create a scroll that I will bring home as my proudest souvenir. The tea ceremony that followed was deeply meaningful. These memories will be carried with me always. Such a generous, gracious, and talented teacher!
Thank you very much for taking the time to write such an incredibly kind and thoughtful review! I’m so glad we were still able to meet despite the booking mix-up—it truly felt like it was meant to be. It was a real pleasure to share the art of calligraphy with you, and I was very impressed by your focus and dedication during practice. I hope the scroll you created will always remind you of your time here. I’m also happy to hear that the tea ceremony was meaningful for you. I will never forget the way you said “wonderful” after tasting a cup of matcha—it was such a special moment for me as well. Thank you again for your generous words. I sincerely hope our paths cross again someday. You will always be most welcome.
Shatomi was very knowledgeable and encouraging during our visit. Highly recommend this activity!
Thank you so much for your kind review! I’m truly delighted that you and your family enjoyed the activity. I hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again in the future.
I honestly didn’t expect the experience to be so calming. It was such a grounding and mindful process, far beyond just creating art and making matcha tea. Such a unique and meaningful experience — I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something both cultural and therapeutic. The teacher Satomi is very patient and a great history and technique teacher!
Thank you very much for sharing such a thoughtful review. It is truly wonderful to know that the experience felt calming, grounding, and even mindful. Your kind words about me is sincerely appreciated. This is the highest compliment a guide can receive. Thank you as well for recommending the experience to others. It would be a pleasure to welcome you again whenever you wish to reconnect with the cultural and therapeutic beauty of these traditions.
A traditional, very culturally immersive workshop in the heart of Tokyo. You can practice Japanese calligraphy and experience tea ceremony, all with the help of a charismatic pro. The master teaches you about the history and cultural importance, while guiding you through the details and techniques of both arts. It makes for a very nice activity + you can create your own souvenirs. Worth every penny.
Thank you very much for your wonderful review. I am truly happy to hear that you felt immersed in traditional Japanese culture and enjoyed practicing calligraphy and experiencing the tea ceremony here in the heart of Tokyo. I am deeply grateful for your kind and generous description of me. I am still learning every day, and I am simply a guide who loves sharing these traditions with guests from around the world. I hope the calligraphy pieces and memory of the tea ceremony will be something treasured for many years.
nice experience. the owner was super nice friendly. highly recommended!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the matcha and tea. We truly appreciate your kind words about our traditional interior and about me as well. Thank you for your warm support, and we look forward to welcoming you again soon.
