The Matcha Ritual

Unfolding as a seasonal practice rather than a single visit, the AGOBAY Matcha Ritual offer a recalibration cycle. Each cycle runs over three months, aligned with the rhythm of the year: spring’s renewal, summer’s steady energy, autumn’s grounding focus, and winter’s depth and stillness. Learning about matcha is part of the ritual, though not its focus; it is used as a tool to slow the body, sharpen attention and create space for presence.

The ritual itself remains constant. What shifts is the seasonal tone. Guests take part over a season, returning each month on the same day and at the same hour, guided minimally by the same host. This continuity allows the carefully choreographed ritual to become a protected moment in time, shared in quietude with no more than eight people.

Marked by incense and a short poem, each 60-minute session begins with arrival and grounding. Guests observe the ceremonial preparation of gyokuro tea, followed by a concise introduction to making matcha with care and precision. Matcha is then prepared in a ceremony and served with a seasonal sweet, before a final, unexpected matcha drink – alcoholic or non-alcoholic – is served. The ritual closes in stillness, with a poetic word to gently release the experience.

The Matcha Ritual is offered as a cycle, because its effect deepens through repetition. New cycles open quarterly, with one morning and two evening groups; choose whichever suits your rhythm best.

Explore our online Masterclasses on preparation techniques and tools for gyokuro and matcha, led by Japanese tea master Shinya Sakurai.