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Grind Your Own Matcha in Uji: The Tea Museum at Chazuna in Kyoto

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Activity provider: Chazuna
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Grind Your Own Matcha in Uji: The Tea Museum at Chazuna
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An hour in the town that has supplied Japan's best green tea for eight centuries — museum entry plus grinding your own matcha on a stone mill.

Grind Your Own Matcha in Uji: The Tea Museum at Chazuna: Key Facts

PriceFrom $30 per person
Duration1 hour
Group sizeUp to 20 people
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeEntry Ticket
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Choose from 1 available option

Museum Ticket and Matcha Grinding

Entry to the Chazuna tea museum plus the stone-mill matcha grinding session with an instructor, and the matcha you make.
1 hour
English
$30
Free cancellation

Full description

Uji is why Japanese tea is Japanese tea. The plantations here were established in the thirteenth century, the shading technique that produces gyokuro and matcha was developed in this valley, and the town still supplies the tea used in formal ceremony across the country. It sits twenty minutes south of Kyoto and most visitors pass through it for Byodo-in without ever addressing the tea.

Chazuna is the museum built to fix that, in the Historical Park of Tea and Uji. The exhibits are hands-on and digital rather than glass cases — how the leaf is grown and processed, where Uji tea came from, and the practical question everyone actually wants answered, which is what separates gyokuro from sencha and how to brew either without ruining it. The history room covers the town itself, including the Byodo-in phoenix hall that is on the back of the ten-yen coin.

The part worth coming for is the grinding. Matcha is not powdered in a machine for ceremony work; it is ground on a stone mill, slowly, and you turn the handle yourself. It takes far longer than anyone expects — an hour of grinding produces around forty grams — and understanding that is what makes the price of good matcha make sense. You drink what you make.

Instruction is available in English and Japanese, the group caps at twenty, and the venue is wheelchair accessible. At this price it is one of the cheapest cultural experiences in the Kyoto area, and it pairs naturally with Byodo-in and a walk along the Uji river.

Tour Itinerary

Itineraries are customisable as per your request

The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.

Check in at Chazuna reception

Uji Tea Room: how tea is grown and processed

History room and the story of Uji

Grind your own matcha on a stone mill

Drink the matcha you made

Includes

  • Chazuna museum ticket
  • Matcha grinding experience on a stone mill
  • Instructor in English or Japanese
  • The matcha you make

Excludes

  • Transport to Uji
  • Additional food and drinks
  • Byodo-in admission
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off

Important information

Meeting point

Chazuna 1F reception, Historical Park of Tea and Uji, Maruyama-203-1 Todo, Uji, Kyoto 611-0013.

Know before you go

  • Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts
  • Please bring a valid ID or passport for entry

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more
Duration 1 hour
Check availability to see starting times
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible

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Main Tour Price
Starting from $30
$30
Need a custom booking or have a larger group?Contact Support via WhatsApp
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more

Traveler Reviews

4.9/5
based on 1017 reviews
Guide
4.9/5
Value for money
4.9/5
Verified reviews from travelers on this operator’s experience
5
H
Helen– Australia
June 25, 2026

This was a good education about the cultivation of tea leaves. different types. the special features of the grinding process. The three guides were very helpful and answered my questions. The museum was already really good and explained the history of tea, the role of Uji and battles that happened and how tea was part of many ways of life, trade, politics. Highly recommend this.

Review photo 1Review photo 2
5
C
Chaimae
September 5, 2026

I really liked the activity, and also loved the energy of our ‘sensei’. She was very nice and her English was impressive! The matcha experience itself was so interesting and the matcha very good.

5
K
Kristina
August 31, 2026

My 18yo daughter & I explored Uji and had lunch before taking a 10min walk to the museum and match grinding experienc. The museum was small yet engaging and informative. The staff was lovely & the venue even had a small gift shop and cafe onsite. We bought a couple gifts at the gift shop & went through the museum before taking part in the matcha class. The staff was kind, attentive and helpful. Overall it was a fun, interactive class that helped us learn more about matcha! I would take it again if I were bringing someone new with me.

5
L
Linh
August 17, 2026

Hosts were very kind and polite. We got to learn about matcha, grind the tea leaves, and make the matcha. 100% recommend!

5
L
LUIS
August 12, 2026

I liked it, but sometimes I just could listen very well, maybe a mic would work better.

5
j
jessica
August 10, 2026

The matcha grinding and preparation class was incredible! The teachers were so knowledgeable and kind, and it was amazing to learn more about how matcha is prepared, its cultural history, and where it comes from. The museum at the end was a great addition as well. Overall, such a wonderful experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in matcha and Japanese culture!

5
N
Nathan
August 7, 2026

The activity was very informative and the instruction on how to properly make a cup of match was very helpful. Excellent instructors. If you love tea, this is a must!

5
A
Arpan &am
July 30, 2026

So great! Would recommend to anyone who is interested in tea and Matcha. The host were very welcoming and friendly and made the experience so enjoyable :)

5
S
Sofia
July 22, 2026

The best tour from our trip. Our guide Etsuko was extremelly kind

Frequently Asked Questions

Chazuna 1F reception, Historical Park of Tea and Uji, Maruyama-203-1 Todo, Uji, Kyoto 611-0013.
The price does not cover transport to uji, additional food and drinks, byodo-in admission and hotel pickup and drop-off. Everything it does cover is listed in full on this page, so if something is not on that list, budget for it separately.
Religious sites expect shoulders and knees covered, and shoes come off before entering many of them. A light scarf is worth carrying. Where a site enforces this at the gate, arriving dressed correctly saves the whole group time.
Chazuna. We book with them directly rather than through a reseller, which is why we can confirm your place with the operator before taking it as final.
We confirm your booking with the operator before we treat it as final, and we need at least one day's notice outside India. Once it is confirmed you get the meeting point, the time and a contact number for the day. If the operator cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.
Chazuna museum ticket, Matcha grinding experience on a stone mill, Instructor in English or Japanese, The matcha you make
The duration of the Grind Your Own Matcha in Uji: The Tea Museum at Chazuna is typically 1 hour. We recommend arriving 15 minutes before the scheduled start time for a smooth check-in. Your guide will meet you at the designated meeting point and ensure the experience runs on schedule while remaining flexible to your pace.
For most experiences, we highly recommend an early morning start. This allows you to avoid the midday heat, bypass the largest crowds, and capture the best lighting for photography. Your guide can advise on the optimal timing based on the season and specific attractions included.
Yes, once your booking is completed via our secure payment gateway, you will receive an instant confirmation email with your tour details, meeting point address, guide's name, and direct contact information. You can also view and manage your booking through your AsiaByLocals account dashboard.
Yes! All our private tours are fully customizable. Whether you want to add extra stops, skip certain locations, change the pace, or adjust the start time — simply let your guide know in advance or on the day. We aim to create a personalized experience tailored to your interests and energy level.
We offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours may be subject to a partial charge depending on the tour type. Weather-related cancellations for outdoor and boat tours are handled on a case-by-case basis, with full refunds or free rebooking offered when safety is a concern.
Most of our experiences are family-friendly and suitable for children of all ages. However, some tours involving extensive walking, water activities, or early morning starts may be better suited for children aged 5 and above. Please check the specific tour description for age recommendations, or contact us for personalized family itinerary advice.
After booking, you will receive detailed meeting point instructions via email. Most tours include complimentary hotel pickup within the central area. For tours without pickup, your confirmation email will include the exact address, Google Maps pin, and your guide's phone number for easy coordination. Guides typically arrive 10 minutes early and will message you on WhatsApp.
We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Apple Pay, and Razorpay for Indian cards. All payments are processed through a PCI-compliant secure gateway with 256-bit encryption. You can also pay in multiple currencies — the price is automatically converted to your local currency at checkout.
Yes, all AsiaByLocals guides are licensed professionals who have been rigorously vetted through background checks, skill assessments, and customer reviews. Many hold government-issued tourism licenses, university degrees in history or cultural studies, and have years of experience leading tours for international travelers. Every guide maintains a minimum 4.5-star rating to remain active on our platform.
Late March to early April for cherry blossom, or mid-to-late November for peak autumn foliage. Kyoto sits in a basin and runs hotter in summer and colder in winter than Tokyo, even at a similar latitude. Full month-by-month figures are in our best time to visit Kyoto guide.
Kyoto never built an extensive subway — just two lines (Karasuma and Tozai) — so the city bus network does most of the work, especially for Higashiyama, Kinkaku-ji and Ginkakuji. Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama are best reached by JR rail instead. See getting around Kyoto.
Three days covers the essentials well: a day for Higashiyama and Gion, a day for Arashiyama and Kinkaku-ji, and a day for Fushimi Inari plus a Nara or Uji day trip. Our 3-day Kyoto itinerary has the full route with timing.
Arrive by 6:30-7am — the shrine is open 24/7 and free, and most visitors only walk the first 20-30 minutes anyway. Past that point the crowds thin out fast. Full hike details in our Fushimi Inari guide.
Yes — it's a public path with no entrance fee and no set hours. The trade-off is that it gets shoulder-to-shoulder by mid-morning; arrive before 8am for a nearly empty walk. See the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest guide.
Kyoto restricts photography on certain private alleys in Gion after complaints about tourists chasing and blocking geiko and maiko, with fines for violators. Public streets like Hanamikoji-dori remain open, but never chase, touch or block a real geiko/maiko anywhere. Full etiquette in our Gion geisha district guide.
Yudofu (simmered tofu, best near Nanzen-ji or Arashiyama), kaiseki and shojin ryori temple cuisine, and Nishiki Market's stalls of tako tamago and fresh yuba. Uji, just south of the city, is one of Japan's top matcha-growing regions. See the Kyoto food guide.
Starting from$30