Momijiyama Garden Teahouse

Recently, I revisited the teahouse inside Momijiyama Garden/紅葉山庭園. The garden is located in the northwest corner of Sumpu Castle Park at the heart of Shizuoka City in Shizuoka Prefecture.

While paying the small admission fee at the garden entrance, you can also purchase a ticket for your choice of tea service in the ryureiseki teahouse. At the time of my visit, the tea options were matcha and two varieties of sencha.  Once inside the garden, a brief scenic walk will bring you to the teahouse.

After presenting your ticket at the teahouse entrance you can choose your seat. All seats provide a splendid view of the garden. 

After being seated, you'll receive a complimentary cup of hojicha followed by your tea set. 

For this visit, I chose the Honyama matcha set with wagashi.  The tea bowl and sweet reflected the autumn season even though the trees and plants outside were still holding onto their summer green.

This particular matcha is the result of historical research and cultivation that began in 1986 to reproduce the matcha that was believed to be favored by Tokugawa Ieyasu after he retired to Sumpu Castle.  For this reason, Honyama matcha is generally only served at tea ceremonies and events relating to the Tokugawa clan.  You can learn more about Honyama matcha by following this link.  

All teas offered by the teahouse are also available for purchase. The hojicha was so delicious that I had to bring a bag home.

The beautiful Momijiyama Garden is a peaceful oasis in the heart of the city and I highly recommend a visit if you're in the area.

Address: 

〒420-0855, 静岡県静岡市葵区駿府公園1-1
1 Sunpujōkōen, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka-ken 420-0855

Hours:
9:00am to 4:30pm
Closed Mondays and December 29th through January 3rd