Hiyoshi Taisha Tea Offering Ceremony 2026 (Shiga)

Hiyoshi Taisha is a shrine in Sakamoto, Otsu, at the foot of Mount Hiei. Nearby is the Hiyoshi Tea Garden, where Saicho, the founder of the Tendai school of Buddhism, is said to have planted tea seeds he brought back from China. It is regarded as the oldest tea garden in Japan.

Every year on November 17, the Omotesenke school, one of the main schools of chanoyu (the Japanese tea ceremony), holds a kencha-sai (tea offering ceremony) at the shrine’s Nishi Hongu hall, presenting tea to the deities. Omotesenke’s event listings also mention a haifuku-seki, a seating where attendees are served tea, on the same day.

In 2026 the ceremony falls on Tuesday, November 17, starting at 11 a.m. Sakamoto is a short train ride from Kyoto, and mid-November is also when the maples on the shrine grounds begin to color. Check with Hiyoshi Taisha or Omotesenke about how to join the tea seating.