Tea Ceremony in a architectural masterpiece in Shibamata & Tora-san Museum

【HIGHLIGHTS】
• Observe the unique blend of Japanese and Western-style architecture, registered as a Tangible Cultural Property by Katsushika-ku.
• Appreciate the elegant Japanese garden ranked high in the Japanese garden ranking by ”Sukiya Living" or The Journal of Japanese Gardening, issued in the U.S.
• Experience tea ceremony with a support in three languages
• Get a free ticket for Tora-san Museum
【SCHEDULE】
Visit→briefing→tea ceremony→end→Tora-san Museum (by yourself）
【DETAILS】
Shibamata, the temple town of Taishakuten and also the location of the movie series of 'Otoko wa Tsurai yo,' is popular as having a friendly local atmosphere. The program is held at the former merchant's residence which contains a unique mix of both Japanese and Western style of architecture and design. It has an excellent Japanese garden that has been ranked in the top 7 in an American journal specializing in Japanese gardens. The place is so popular not only for its garden but also for the warm hospitality of the staff. People can have a relaxing time viewing the garden from the tatatmi room while feeling as if they were at their grandpa's house.
A briefing is given for the international visitors to easily understand the history of the facility and the tea ceremony. Then the instructor will give a demonstration. Now it's your turn to make tea. Customers are attended in English, Chinese and Korean carefully, so even a beginner can enjoy the experience comfortably. Japanese sweets that go well with matcha will be served. You can enjoy tea ceremony in the prime relaxing space.
After the program, why not visit the neighboring Tora-san Museum? The museum houses the actual props and stage sets, an exhibition reproducing the Shibamata town where Tora-san spent his childfood about 60 years ago, and much more to see. Even if you had never seen any of the Tora-san's movies, you might have become a fan of Tora-san by the time you leave.
【TRIVIA】
'Otoko wa Tsurai yo' ("It is tough being a man") is a popular movie series of Japan and 48 movies were released from 1969 to 1995. The series hold the Guinness World Record for the longest-running movie series starring a single actor. They drew audiences totaling over 79.5 million people and are still popular. The hero, Tora-san, from Shibamata is a travelling sales person. He meets "Madonna" on his journey and falls in love with her, though he always ends up heartbroken. As he is a person of deep humanity, it is hard to hate him. You will find the bronze statue of Tora-san in front of Shibamata Station. Richard Gere once acted a character modeling Tora-san in a Japanese TV commercial.