9:30 AM, November 26, Kyoto Main Store

Under the golden leaves of ginkgo trees on Teramachi Street, we wait for a taxi with the chairman and the president of Ippodo. We are heading to Kitano Tenmangu, one of the most famous shrines in Kyoto, for the annual Kenchasai ceremony—a thanksgiving celebration for the tea harvest, held every year at the end of November.

Today is an important annual ceremony and celebration of the tea harvest, Kenchasai, that has been held there since the 1800s.

Turning to the chairman, we venture some small talk, “Are you looking forward to the ceremony this year?”

“Well, each year I get to see the priceless tea utensils they bring out, so that’s fun,” he says, soft eyes smiling at the corners.

It’s a bit of an understatement; for generations now, Ippodo’s owners, the Watanabes, have been asked to play the important role of the tea inspector of sorts, the sairyō, in the ceremony.

It’s an important moment for the Watanabes to be able to express gratitude for a beautiful harvest, to celebrate the community that has lifted tea up through the centuries, and to recognize another side of tea apart from the everyday, as the stuff of the highest order, of sublime ceremony.

The History of Kenchasai at Kitano Tenmangu

The week before, we spoke with Higashikawa-san, Senior Priest and General Manager at the Kitano Tenmangu shrine, to learn more about this important ritual.

The origins of Kenchasai, he says, go back centuries. In 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the three unifiers of modern Japan, began holding great tea gatherings called “Kitano O Chanoyu,” held at the Kitano Tenmangu shrine. These events were a massive spectacle: a full day of ceremonies and preparing of tea, open to elites and laypeople alike.

Then, beginning in 1877, the tradition was continued by its successor, the Kenchasai (literally, “Tea Offering Festival”), which also originated at Kitano Tenmangu and is now a ceremony at many shrines nation-wide.

Kenchasai takes place over two days, November 26th and December 1st. On November 26th, tea harvests from traditional growing regions in Kyoto are brought to the shrine and inspected. On December 1st, Grand Master of one of six tea ceremony schools prepares bowls of matcha using the harvests, and presents them as an offering.

It’s the sairyō’s job on the first day to inspect the teas presented for quality and suitability for such an offering.

According to Higashikawa-san, the role of sairyō has been entrusted to Ippodo since the 4th generation president, the current president’s great grandfather.

The Procession

We arrive at the shrine a little early. The sky is partly covered with soft gray clouds, but occasionally the sun shines through, illuminating the auburn and orange leaves of trees in the shrine grounds.

By the main gate, we are joined by other participants, one by one: presidents of centuries’-old tea houses, producers and blenders, industry stalwarts. As we wait, the mood is high, and the presidents - old friends - talk shop.

The procession begins, led by banner-bearers from eight historic regions in the Kyoto area (“Yamashiro,” “Uji”) and those carrying the precious tea harvests, enclosed in boxes and covered in ornate silk cloth.

Reaching the inner shrine, we take our seats quietly inside. In the front sits sairyō Chairman Watanabe in formal black kimono.

The Sairyō Inspects the Harvest

The ceremony begins with the offering of the jars, which are carried by ten or so shrine priests to the inner altar. Then, the role of the sairyō begins in earnest with the jar opening ceremony. He calls out one of the regions, “Kohata!” and the first jar is carried from the altar to the first of four ceremony-performers seated in front, with large wooden trays and tools at their side.

The first cuts the heavy gauze-like seal and removes the lid of the jar, and then, in one motion, pours its contents out onto the tray, and a waterfall of green forms a little mountain before him. After the tencha (tea leaves that are ground to make matcha powder) has all been poured out, he carefully sets the empty jar aside. The precious harvest is now ready for inspection.

A priest carries the tray over and places on the table in front of the sairyō. Watanabe looks down with the sharp eyes of a tea blender at the almost radiant leaves before him.

In this modern era, the quality of the teas is preeminent; the sairyō’s job is easy. He confirms its quality with a few words, “It is suitable, thank you,” and it’s whisked away and placed on display just outside the inner shrine.

After the first, he calls remaining jars more rapidly now (“Kyoto,” “Todo,” “Uji”), and the other three jar-openers carry out their task simultaneously. One-by-one, the sairyō confirms each batch’s quality simply, without circumstance.

All eight harvests verified, a final blessing is given, and the ceremony of the first day has complete.

The Art of Sharing a Beautiful Bowl of Matcha

The tea ceremony in Japan is an art form dedicated to preparing matcha beautifully, with many schools of practice. For hundreds of years, it has evolved to meet each era, and in the 20th century, it became much more accessible. Still, for many, it carries a formal, exclusive air to today.

However, if you talk to practitioners, you’ll receive a different impression.

Their practice, their art, cumulates in bigger events called a chakai and chaji, “tea gatherings.” Chakai are a short gathering with tea and sweets, while chaji are often day-long affairs with multiple courses of food and drink, and the setting is often lively and social, almost like a dinner party among friends.

We caught a glimpse of this side of tea after the first day of the Kenchasai. After having lunch, the ten or so presidents and associates sat for a chakai, and the mood was jovial. While a seasoned acolyte deftly, gently prepared the matcha, they chatted away—about recent goings-on, about the sweets served, and about the priceless tea bowls brought out for the occasion. (One, a light pink Raku bowl with a subtle plum blossom motif, was made over 100 years ago for the 8th Kenchasai.)

Thanks to atmosphere created by the host, they felt comfortable catching up and bonding over shared matcha and sweets.

For anyone who has a chance to visit Japan, we suggest attending a tea ceremony, to experience this side of matcha. Do the best you can with all the rules they teach you, and let the spirit of the tea and the energy of the room fill you with bliss and connection to those around you.

10:00 AM, December 1st — Preparing Matcha as an Offering

The following Monday morning, we return to the shrine, and it is already bustling. In the inner shrine area, we take our seats again. The air is bright and lively: everyone is looking forward to the start of the second day’s ceremony.

In front of us, already lain out are the many utensils to be used. It’s a more intricate array than a typical tea ceremony; for those with an eye, each of the dozens of tools is a work of a skilled artisan, like an instrument in a symphony.

As soon as we can take the scene in, the ceremony begins, starting with a blessing of the room, of the space, of the participants, and of the tea by the priests of the shrine.

Grand Master of the Omotesenke School, Sen Sōsa XV, stands up from his stool on the side, and steps over to the mat with a deceptive gentleness.

He then begins to prepare the matcha. Seeing him carry out the steps is a simple joy. Each of his movements considers and flows into the next smoothly, with no tension, and the space takes on a relaxing, calming air. His is the grace of a lifetime of devotion to beautiful tea.

The bowl ready, he covers it with a lid, and carries it over to present it for the offering.

In total, he prepares four bowls of matcha, using the teas that were offered and inspected in the ritual of the first day.

After a careful hour, the ceremony is complete. Slowly, attendees filter out from the inner shrine. Each is abuzz and begins to catch up with one another, and as we walk down the steps, the sun shines on the shrine courtyard, warming us from without and within.

December 5, 2025 — Ippodo Tea Main Store

A few days later, we sat down with the chairman and the president and a cup of hojicha, to reflect on this event and its importance to them and Ippodo.

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How was it to attend and participate in the Kenchasai this year?

Chairman: Honestly, I’ve been performing these duties since 1995, so everything felt routine at this point. Pretty soon I want to pass it on to my son!

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What would you say the importance of this annual ceremony is for Ippodo?

President: I think it’s a chance to recognize tea in a way that goes beyond the everyday. In such a careful ceremony, tea is elevated to being the stuff worthy of the gods, worthy of celebrating, worthy of reverence.

Chairmain: For all the participants, it’s also a social event. It’s a chance to come together with those we are deeply grateful for and connected to. Though we each come from different families, together we are working to spread the beauty of tea, and each of us has a role in building the community here in Kyoto and around the world.

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What does the role of sairyō, the inspector of the teas offered, mean to you?

Chairman: These days it’s mostly a ceremonial role, since the teas are all already of the highest quality, from the top producers and regions in the country.

But, considering it more deeply, the role reflects all we stand for at Ippodo. The meaning of “Ippodo,” the name we were bestowed by Prince Yamashina in 1846, is “Preserve one,” meaning that we should solely work to uphold the quality of tea.

Acting as sairyō, the quality inspector, really fills me with deep gratitude: for the tea farmers, for the connections to Kyoto and others around us, and for previous generations who have cherished and upheld the beauty of tea over centuries.

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Do you have a message for the readers of this blog?

President: We love tea every day and in all ways. The beauty of tea is that it is so mercurial: it pulls people together, it offers solace, and it matches your mood in the moment.

Day-to-day, we often get caught up in the busy pace of our lives, drinking our tea quickly on the run or for a caffeine boost. From time-to-time, taking a pause to slowly enjoy tea, whether at a ceremony or just with friends, offers a different, almost meditative experience. It's a practice that fills us with gratitude and connects us to those around us. We hope that you are able to find little moments of reverence like these with tea.