Photos: Nankou Oronain (as36… · CC BY-SA 3.0 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
At Saidaiji's Ōchamori, guests share matcha from a bowl about 40 cm across and about 7 kg, whisked with a 36 cm chasen, and your neighbour holds the bowl up while you drink.
Why it's unique
It descends from 1239, when the monk Eison served the tea left over from an offering to the people instead of a sake feast.
It is the opposite of a formal tea ceremony: a giant bowl, a giant whisk, and a ritual that only works if the person next to you helps.
Before you go
There is no etiquette to get wrong: it is meant to be convivial. Public sittings are 16 January (New Year), the second Sunday of April and the day before, and an autumn one (1 November in 2026).
Prices change from 2027: Saidaiji changes admission and its opening calendar from 1 January 2027, so check current fees.
