Tanabata & Matcha: Celebrate Japan’s Star Festival with Seasonal Wagashi Every year on July 7th, Japan celebrates Tanabata, also known as the Star Festival. According to Japanese legend, Orihime and Hikoboshi, represented by the stars Vega and Altair, are lovers separated by the Milky Way and allowed to meet only once a year. People celebrate […]
June 30th marks the midpoint of the year in Japan, a date marked by a Shinto purification ritual called Nagoshi no Harae (also written 名越の祓). The ritual is held to cleanse away the impurities accumulated over the first half of the year and to pray for good health through the months ahead. It takes place […]
The first thing you hold in a Japanese tea ceremony is the matcha bowl. Its weight, the warmth it carries, the texture beneath your fingers — every detail is intentional. In a single bowl, centuries of Japanese aesthetic sensibility come together. What many people don’t realize is that matcha bowls vary enormously depending on where […]
Tea Ceremony Experience at Narita International Culture Hall We recently had the pleasure of hosting a matcha tea ceremony experience at Narita International Culture Hall in Narita City, Chiba — as part of a team-building event for an international company. The group consisted of 20 participants from a wide range of countries, including members from […]
We hosted an on-site matcha experience for a group of 100 international visitors at Meiji Kinenkan in Tokyo. Here we share how we handled the unique challenges of a large-scale event — including English support, dietary restrictions, and smooth logistics. The experience in action at Meiji Kinenkan Event Overview Venue: Meiji Kinenkan, Minato, Tokyo Participants: […]
Who Was Oda Urakusai? The Tea Master Who Was Oda Nobunaga’s Brother You may have heard of Yurakucho — one of Tokyo’s most familiar neighborhoods. But do you know where the name comes from? Yurakucho takes its name from Oda Urakusai, a feudal lord who once had his Edo residence on that very land. A […]
What is a Shodo (Japanese Calligraphy) Experience? Shodo — Japanese calligraphy — is the art of writing characters with ink and brush. More than simply writing, it is a practice of focusing the breath and following the flow of the brush, offering a sense of calm and deep satisfaction that is rare in everyday life. […]
“How long has tea ceremony been around?” One of our guests asked me this during a recent experience session. I told her it goes back over a thousand years — which is true — but I thought it deserved a more complete answer. So here’s a brief walkthrough of how the Japanese tea ceremony came […]
Children’s Day 2026 Hotel Activities | Matcha, Calligraphy & Origami Experience May 5th is Children’s Day — one of Japan’s most beloved national holidays. During Golden Week, hotels welcome many families with children. Why not offer something truly special this year? GreenTeaTokyo brings matcha, calligraphy, and origami workshops directly to your hotel. Our instructors arrive […]
Chimaki for Tango no Sekku: The Story Behind Japan’s Traditional Rice Dumpling May 5th is Children’s Day in Japan — a holiday marked by samurai helmets, carp streamers, and a special sweet: chimaki, the traditional Japanese rice dumpling. We recently received some beautiful chimaki from a wagashi (Japanese confectionery) artisan we work with. Wrapped in […]
