Take a Tea Ceremony or Drink Sake With Locals in Japan
Many vistors to Japan decide to go there in the first place because they’re interested in some aspect of Japanese culture, be it the delicious cuisine, arts like ikebana (flower arranging) or calligraphy, or something really unique like kimono wearing or tea ceremony.
I just found out about the Women’s Association of Kyoto’s Japanese Cultural Experience program and it seems like a great way to meet some locals and learn about whichever aspect of Japanese culture interests you most.
They organize all kinds of sessions including learning how to cook Japanese food in the home of a host (and eating it together, of course), taking part in a tea ceremony and learning about its traditions, or visit a koto-player at home (a koto is a traditional Japanese harp) and have your first lesson in how to play the koto. There are out of home experiences too, like visiting the Horino Memorial Museum and being able to taste three different kinds of sake there.
While similar cultural experiences are offered in Tokyo too, I’d recommend heading to Kyoto, where you can get away from some of the glitz and glamor of busy Tokyo and feel more in the mood for some traditional Japanese culture. Kyoto’s just a couple of hours by bullet train from Kyoto or less than an hour from Osaka.
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photo credit: ThisParticularGreg)
Categories: Restaurants and Dining
