Ankoan :Kyoto

About Ankoan

Shin-Omiya Shopping Street stretches from north to south in Kita-ku, Kyoto. Located in the middle of this relaxing and calm shopping street, Ankoan is a small cafe that looks forward to meeting domestic tea lovers and overseas travelers who are interested in Japanese culture.

It is a tea-related hangout near Daitokuji Temple in Kyoto, with the hope of becoming a place that gives off a faint fragrance and makes people think, “I don’t know why, but I’m drawn to it,” just like the plum blossoms that Linpu, who lived a poor but solitary life at the Hokakutei Pavilion on the shores of West Lake in Hangzhou, China, wrote about.

Not only can you use it as a hangout to experience tea ceremony and flower arrangement, but it is also a hangout for overseas customers who want to experience something different from the usual, such as making Japanese sweets, making sushi, making tatami mats, wearing kimonos, taking Japanese language courses to be able to talk a little more with the townspeople, shakuhachi, zazen, kintsugi, martial arts, etc., and also a hangout for people who propose and plan various travel plans for overseas customers.

It is also a place where you can learn about tasting, brewing, and aesthetic expression of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese teas.

And it is a place for everyone who wants to think about and do something interesting related to tea.

Tea ceremony and flower arrangement experience plan in Kyoto

Why not try a tea ceremony or flower arrangement experience at Ankoan, a 3-minute walk from Kyoto Daitokuji, a famous Zen temple with deep ties to tea culture? Your experience will be supported by a Japanese instructor who aspires to research Japanese-Chinese tea culture, so you may have an interesting experience.

The experience plan is held every day throughout the year at the following times, except for the New Year holidays (December 31st to January 3rd). If the experience is full, you will not be able to experience it, so we apologize for the inconvenience, but if you let us know your desired date, time, plan, and number of people in advance via the “Inquiry Form”, you will be able to experience it more smoothly. Please note that if the event is fully booked, we may ask you to change the date or time.

A shared seating plan (light tea) where you may make friends with various people

Duration: 60 minutes or more

Start time: ①10:00 or more, ②12:30 or more, ③15:00 or more

Price: 5,000 yen/person or more

Including Matcha Dohei tea ceremony viewing experience, tea ceremony experience, matcha, and Japanese sweets

*As you will be sharing a table with people from various countries, the experience will be basically in Japanese. If you would like to limit the language to English only, Japanese only, Chinese only, etc., we recommend the “private plan with friends”.

Private plan with friends (light tea as the basis)

Duration: 60 minutes or more

Start time: We will accommodate your requests as much as possible.

Price: Varies depending on the content, so please contact us.

A talk about the types of Japanese tea, a brief history of tea ceremony, etc., Matcha Dohei tea ceremony viewing experience, tea ceremony experience while seated in the tea ceremony seat, matcha, and Japanese sweets included.

*For private plans, we will plan the time and content according to your requests.

For example,
“I want to learn carefully how to handle a fukusa, how to walk, how to make tea with 6 people.” “I want more kinds of sweets.” “I want to use the tea room as a studio while experiencing it.” “I have children, so I want to use the space freely.” “I want a plan that includes meals.”

We will try to meet your requests to the extent possible, so please contact us in advance. (No inquiries on the day)

Ikebana experience (reservation required)

A shared seating plan where you may be able to make friends with various people

Duration: 60 minutes or more
Start time: ①11:30 or ②14:00 or more
Price: 5,800 yen/person or more

Private plan with friends (reservation required)

Duration: 60 minutes or more
Start time: We will try to meet your requests as much as possible. Price: Varies depending on the content, so please consult us.
Ikebana experience using Shippo or Kenzan. We will provide the tools necessary for Ikebana. You can take home the flowers after arranging them. Please feel free to ask.
*For private plans, we will plan the time and content according to your requests.

Japanese Handicraft Experience

Private plan with friends (reservation required)
Duration: 120 minutes or more

Start time: We will accommodate your request as much as possible.

Price: Varies depending on the item you wish to create and the fabric accessories, so please contact us.

Basically, you will learn how to make “AZUMABUKURO”, which was invented in the Edo period, but we will also consult with you about the items you will make. On the day, while drinking the welcome tea prepared by the teacher, we will talk about traditional Japanese patterns and the origins of Azuma bags, while giving advice on traveling to Kyoto and talking about our experiences. On the day, you will choose your favorite traditional patterned fabric from the fabric prepared by the teacher, and we will make it together using a sewing machine. You can take the finished product home with you. Why not experience Japanese culture through craftsmanship?

Kimono experience (reservation required)

Unfortunately, Ankoan does not have many kimonos. You can try wearing a kimono that is owned by a staff member. As for the style, it is an experience with a formal obi-tying, so please forgive us if it takes a little time to put it on. Also, if you would like to wear a 12-layered kimono or a maiko costume, please contact us. You can also experience dressing by a professional kimono dresser who dresses for stage costumes and movies and dramas.
Price: 3,500 yen/person indoors only, 4,500 yen/person indoors and outdoors (please return by 5pm)
For customers who want to choose from a large selection of kimonos, we will introduce you to an affiliated kimono experience studio, so after trying on a kimono at the affiliated studio, you can come to Ankoan and try out the tea ceremony.
Price: It depends on the type of kimono, but you can expect to pay between 3,500 and 15,000 yen/person.

Link:https://ankoan.com/ja/top/

Tour Link:https://ankoan.com/ja/%E3%81%84%E3%81%A3%E3%81%97%E3%82%87%E3%81%AB%E5%AD%A6%E3%81%B6/