From Matcha Fields to Samurai Heritage

Discover Nishio’s tea culture and the world of the daimyo
on a one-day or two-day guided journey through Aichi Prefecture.

What connects a bowl of matcha with Japan’s samurai lords? The answer lies in the Japanese tea ceremony. For the daimyo (the powerful lords who governed Japan’s domains between 17th & 19th centuries) tea gatherings were an important part of welcoming guests, expressing refinement and demonstrating social standing. Carefully chosen tea bowls and utensils were treasured objects, reflecting a household’s taste and prestige.

Two tours departing from Nagoya bring this connection to life. Discover how matcha is produced in Nishio, enjoy tea in a historic setting, and explore the cultural heritage of the Tokugawa family. Choose a day trip combining Nishio and Nagoya, or a two-day journey that also takes you to Okazaki, the birthplace of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Other Tours

Follow matcha from the tea fields to the tea room

Both journeys begin in Nishio, one of Japan’s leading matcha-producing areas. Here, visiting the tea fields introduces you to the landscape and local expertise behind every bowl. Your guide explains the growing environment and the development of Nishio’s tea industry, offering a closer look at a tradition that continues to shape the city today.

At a tea-processing factory, discover how harvested leaves become tencha, the tea used to make matcha, and learn about the stages that transform them into finely powdered green tea. This introduction to production gives fresh meaning to the flavours you will enjoy throughout the day.

Lunch at Uotora offers another way to appreciate Nishio’s tea. Dishes incorporating local tencha and matcha introduce tea as an ingredient in regional cuisine, extending the experience beyond the familiar bowl.

The journey then continues to the Former Konoe Residence for a tea ceremony experience. In this historic setting, discover the etiquette of tea and the care given to serving and receiving a bowl of matcha. After exploring its production, you can appreciate how tea becomes an experience of hospitality.

One-day tour: From Nishio’s tea fields to Tokugawa treasures

Enjoy the matcha experiences described above, then continue to the Tokugawa Art Museum in Nagoya. Its collection of swords, armour, tea utensils and artworks introduces the world of the Owari Tokugawa family.

Here, the connection between matcha and the daimyo becomes tangible. After experiencing tea hospitality in Nishio, discover the objects that made tea gatherings an expression of taste and status among Japan’s samurai lords. This full-day journey begins and ends in Nagoya.

Two-day tour: Take more time and explore Ieyasu’s birthplace

For a deeper exploration, choose the overnight tour, which includes a longer tea ceremony experience in Nishio and a night in a deluxe hotel in Nagoya.

The second day adds a visit to Okazaki Castle, where the famous shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu was born. Enjoy lunch at Taishoan Kamaharu Honten before continuing to the Tokugawa Art Museum. Exploring both Ieyasu’s origins and his family’s cultural legacy brings a broader historical perspective to the tea traditions experienced on your first day.

One-Day Tour

Two-Day, One-Night Tour

For Both Tours