Tea Ceremony in Tokyo: Where to Try Matcha the Traditional Way

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Researched guide · Checked on Oct 23, 2026

Want to try a Japanese tea ceremony in Tokyo? You can join a formal ceremony in a historic hotel tea room, drop in for matcha at a garden teahouse, or simply sip tea with a sweet on an island in a pond. Here are three places, from about ¥1,800 to ¥8,000, with prices and hours from their official sites.

Tea ceremony places in Tokyo compared

Place	What you get	Price	Booking
TOKO-AN, Imperial Hotel (Hibiya)	Watch tea being prepared in a sukiya-style tea room; option to make matcha yourself	¥5,000 (tea and sweets, about 30 min); ¥8,000 (with making matcha, about 60 min)	Reservation required
Mu-an, Happo-en (Shirokanedai)	Matcha served in a teahouse beside a Japanese garden, sitting on chairs	¥1,815	No reservation (Fri–Mon, 11:00–15:00)
Nakajima-no-ochaya, Hama-rikyu Gardens (Shiodome)	Matcha and a Japanese sweet in a teahouse on an island in the pond	Paid set; garden entry ¥300	No reservation (9:00–16:45, last order 16:30)

TOKO-AN at the Imperial Hotel

TOKO-AN is a set of three tea rooms in the sukiya style on the 4th floor of the Imperial Hotel’s Main Building, near Hibiya. You watch your tea being prepared in the traditional way. The hotel says guests from overseas do not need to know the etiquette: just sit comfortably on the tatami.

• Tea and sweets: ¥5,000 per person, about 30 minutes, up to 14 people at a time.
• Tea, sweets and making matcha: ¥8,000 per person, about 60 minutes, up to 8 people at a time.
• Hours: 10:00–16:00. Closed on Sundays and national holidays, and sometimes fully booked for private events.
• Booking: reserve in advance on the hotel’s website. Prices include tax and service charge.

Mu-an at Happo-en

Happo-en (1-1-1 Shirokanedai, Minato City) is a Japanese garden with a teahouse called Mu-an. Its walk-in tea service, Teicha, serves matcha and sweets while you sit on chairs, so it is easy if sitting on tatami is hard for you.

• Walk-in tea: ¥1,815 per person, Friday to Monday, 11:00–15:00. No reservation needed.
• Tea ceremony by staff (Otemae): Fridays and Mondays at 11:30 and 13:00, by reservation at least two weeks ahead, with a room charge on top of the per-person price. Best for groups.
• Check the official page for the latest days and prices.

Nakajima-no-ochaya in Hama-rikyu Gardens

The most relaxed option: a teahouse on an island in the seawater pond of Hama-rikyu Gardens, rebuilt in 1983. You can order a set of matcha and a Japanese sweet. It is not a formal ceremony, but the view of the pond and the skyline makes it a lovely stop.

• Hours: 9:00–16:45 (last order 16:30). Closed over the New Year holidays.
• Garden entry: ¥300 for adults. About 7 minutes on foot from Shiodome Station.
• Combine it with a water bus to Asakusa.

Tea ceremony tips

• Book ahead for anything with a host and explanations. Walk-in tea is first come, first served.
• Wear socks if you will sit on tatami: you take your shoes off.
• Sitting on the floor is hard? Choose chair seating, such as Mu-an’s walk-in tea.
• Ask before taking photos during a ceremony.
• For more manners, see our etiquette guide and Japanese food to try.

Going to Kawagoe? You can also try a tea ceremony in English there. See our Kawagoe day trip guide.

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