Tenchadai Outdoor Tea Ceremony & Tea Picking

Ureshino Tea Tourism, a local operator based in the Ureshino hot-spring and tea-growing area of Saga Prefecture, runs the Tenchadai outdoor tea ceremony and tea-picking experience on an open-air wooden deck built above the terraced tea fields overlooking Ureshino. Bookable through the operator's site (en.ureshino88.jp), the roughly 60-to-90-minute program combines a formal outdoor tea ceremony using Ureshino green tea with, during the April-to-May harvest window, hands-on picking of young tea leaves directly from the surrounding bushes. The experience is centered on a single deck location rather than a multi-stop walking route, with the tea fields themselves serving as the backdrop. It includes the tea ceremony service, a seasonal wagashi sweet pairing chosen to complement the tea's flavor, and, when in season, guided tea-leaf picking; transportation to the tea fields and any additional tea purchases are not included in the ¥4,500 base price, which can rise to ¥8,000 for extended sessions or premium tea grades. Savoury food is not part of the program; it focuses on tea and a single sweet course. Groups are kept small, generally under ten participants per session, with instruction offered in Japanese and basic English; no strict dietary substitutions apply since the only food served is the wagashi sweet, though allergy information can be requested when booking. Visitors are seated on low stools or cushions around the outdoor tea-service area, and photography of the fields and ceremony is generally welcomed. The deck has no walls, so the experience depends on weather and is most comfortable in spring and autumn.