【2 Days】The Book of Tea Tour– IBARAKI

Tour summary

More than 100 years ago, Okakura Tenshin, author of The Book of Tea, introduced Japanese aesthetics to the world with clarity and conviction. He described Izura as an “Eastern ideal land” — a place where sea, sky, and spirit met in harmony.

This two-day journey in Kita-Ibaraki follows Tenshin’s footsteps: beginning at Izura, where the ocean landscape shaped his philosophy, and continuing inland to encounter contemporary artists and sacred sites where the connection between nature, beauty, and daily life still endures.

From windswept cliffs and Buddhist temples to restored satoyama homes and mountain shrines, this journey reveals how Tenshin’s ideals continue to live quietly in northern Ibaraki.

In detail

Day 1 – Izura / Tenshin and the Sea

Morning

Meet at JR Isohara Station (10:00) 　View on map

Transfer to Izura area.

Ibaraki Tenshin Memorial Museum of Art (10:30)

Located overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the museum introduces Okakura Tenshin’s life, philosophy, and his deep connection to Izura — the place he called an “Eastern ideal land.”  As the opening of the journey, guests encounter the intellectual and artistic foundation of The Book of Tea.

Seaside Walk from the Museum to Rokkakudō (11:15–12:00)

Walk along the coastal path to Rokkakudō, the hexagonal teahouse designed by Tenshin himself. 

Standing on the cliff above the sea, the horizon of sky and ocean — unchanged for over a century — invites quiet reflection on the “ideal” Tenshin sought.

Midday

Transfer to Hirakata Fishing Port (12:00): Short drive (approx. 10 minutes). 
Walk from the harbor to Marumitsu Ryokan (approx. 15 minutes).
Lunch at Marumitsu Ryokan (12:30–14:15): Meet the owner, Takako-san, and experience the culinary identity of Kita-Ibaraki. Seasonal seafood is served, with anglerfish (ankō) featured in winter months. This is an encounter not only with regional cuisine, but with the people who sustain the coastal food culture.

Afternoon

Otsu Fishing Port & Walk to Chōshōji Temple (14:30): Meet Rev. Nakamura at Otsu Port and walk together through town to Chōshōji Temple, hearing stories of the local community and its relationship to sea and faith.
Chōshōji Temple Visit (14:45–16:00): Explore the temple grounds and main hall.  Learn about Buddhist statues connected to Tenshin and the temple’s history.  Conclude with a quiet tea ceremony held inside the main hall.

Transfer to accommodation.

Evening

Check-in at a seaside ryokan such as Izura Kanko Hotel: Stay overnight in Izura, where you can gaze upon the same seascape that inspired Tenshin and his disciples like Yokoyama Taikan.

Optional Evening Experience (Not Included in Base Price)

teamLab: Hidden Traces of Rice Terraces

Located within the same Izura landscape where Okakura Tenshin once lived and contemplated his vision of beauty, teamLab’s permanent installation offers a contemporary artistic dialogue with that very terrain.

Set in the remains of forested rice terraces near the coast, the work transforms nature itself into a living artwork. Through light, movement, and interaction, the landscape becomes both medium and message — echoing Tenshin’s belief that art and nature are inseparable.

Visiting teamLab at night creates a layered experience: first encountering Tenshin’s philosophy in its original setting, and then witnessing how artists today reinterpret that same field through digital expression.

Available as an optional add-on experience. Not included in the base tour price. Subject to opening schedule and availability.

**Day 2 – Satoyama & Sacred Mountains**

Morning

Transfer inland to the satoyama area.

ARIGATEE (10:30–13:30)

A restored traditional farmhouse turned gallery and atelier.  Meet the artist unit ORINOTAWASHI (the Ishiwata couple).

Through their art, daily life, and care for the surrounding landscape, guests experience how Tenshin’s sensibility — the unity of life and beauty — continues in contemporary Kita-Ibaraki.

Program includes:

Village walk
Visit to the studio and observation of creative work
Conversation on living and creating in harmony with place
Lunch (bento prepared by local restaurant “Fourrage Vert”)

Afternoon

Hanazono Shrine (14:00–15:30)

Founded in 795, this mountain shrine lies deep within forested hills.

Guided by a shrine representative, explore:

The origin and regional role of the shrine
The 800-year-old sacred cedar trees (“Sanbonsugi”)
The symbolic monkey statues (messengers of the gods)
The connection between mountain worship and local life

Hanazono Shrine offers a final reflection on how nature reverence, spirituality, and daily existence remain intertwined.

Evening

Depart from JR Isohara Station

Optional Experience: “Ankō – The Winter Taste of Kita-Ibaraki”

(Not Included in Base Price)
(Available from November to March)

Add an extra layer to your journey with an optional culinary experience centered on Kita-Ibaraki’s iconic anglerfish (ankō).
Join a local fisherman or chef to learn about the traditional ankō no tsurushigiri (anglerfish carving) technique and enjoy a refined seafood lunch at a local ryokan.
While the full “ankō course” is an acquired taste, this carefully curated option offers an authentic yet approachable encounter with one of Japan’s most distinctive winter delicacies.

Included Sites

Ibaraki Tenshin Memorial Museum of Art
Rokkakudō Pavilion
Marumitsu Ryokan (lunch experience)
Chōshōji Temple (including tea ceremony)
ARIGATEE (ORINOTAWASHI)
Hanazono Shrine

Your Guide

Miyuki Abe: A certified local guide from Hitachi-Ota with deep ties to the community. Fluent in English and Japanese, Miyuki offers guests not just guidance, but access to meaningful local interactions and hidden cultural gems.

Location

Meeting / End Point:

JR Isohara Station (JR Joban Line), Ibaraki Prefecture

View on map

More information

FIT / Group	Both
Min. and Max. # of Participants	2 min / 6 max (larger groups by request)
What is Included in the Price	English-speaking guide, activities, local transportation, admission fees, 2 lunches, insurance
Duration	2 days
Start/End Time	Start: 10:00 (Day 1) End: 17:00 (Day 2)
Meeting / Departing Point	JR Isohara St. View on map
Transportation	Chartered car or taxi arranged locally
Notes: dietary restrictions, age limit. etc.	– Seafood-based meals are included. Vegetarian/vegan requests must be discussed in advance. – Please inform us of any food allergies at the time of booking. – Moderate walking is required, including uneven and forested terrain. – The program may be adjusted depending on weather conditions. – Accommodation is not included but can be arranged upon request.
Cancellation Policy	21 – 30 days before the day of the start of the tour: 30% 7 – 20 days before the day of the start of the tour: 40% 6 – 2 days prior : 50% 1 day prior & on that day : 100%