About us

About Romanza

Based on the spirit of senchadō, Romanza holds keiko lessons and tea gatherings with the aim of elevating Japanese culture and spreading senchadō culture more broadly. We also run a range of experience programs as a place for international exchange through senchadō.

The name "Romanza" (露萬坐) is a coined word combining 露 (ro), from gyokuro — one of Japan's finest teas — 萬 (man), from Ōbakusan Manpuku-ji, and 坐 (za), meaning a place where people gather.

The senchadō practiced at Romanza follows the philosophy and temae style of the Ōbaku Baisa-ryū school, one among the many schools of senchadō.

In the Edo period, Baisaō opened Tsūsentei in the streets of Kyoto, casually serving tea to passersby. In that same spirit, we wanted to create a place where anyone could casually encounter the spirit of senchadō — and so we opened Romanza here in Higashiyama, Kyoto.