Tea Houses in Kyoto

Like wine bars in Tuscany, Tea Houses are a pleasantly ubiquitous feature of Kyoto. Built originally to serve the pilgrims who visited the city's numerous temples and shrines, tea houses are a very pleasant stopover on any walking tour of Kyoto.

The tea houses tend to have scenic views of gardens and a relaxing ambiance conducive to a restful break. This is a tea house on the Philosopher's Path owned by the Kyoto cosmetics company, Yojiya.


Matcha, the foaming green tea used in Chanoyu, the Tea Ceremony and a sweet made from bean paste are the usual fare. The freshness of the Macha and its distinctive bitterness are balanced by the sweetness of the pastry. These are my favorite sweets bought at the tea house in Kinkau-ji.

The tea house itself at this temple is very simple and refined and I enjoyed sitting inside enjoying the atmosphere.


This is another pleasant tea house located in Ryuan-ji where you can look out onto an old garden.

By the way there are many other types of tea houses in Kyoto far removed from these simple examples ranging from the sophisticated ochaya in Gion where geisha visit, to chashitsu where the tea ceremony is actually practiced.