Tea Tasting

The Japanese Friendship Garden is hosting a Tea Tasting on Thursday, November 5, as part of its Chanoyu — Experience the Way of Tea program. It's an introduction to Japanese casual tea culture, built around relaxation, socializing, and the flavors and aromas of tea. The session is led by a docent and lasts between 45 and 60 minutes.

It starts with a tour of the tea house Musoan, where you'll see Japanese seasonal art displays and hear about the building's history. From there, you'll taste three different teas — sencha, genmaicha, and hojicha — each served with a Japanese sweet. The whole thing is pitched as a relaxed alternative to the formality of a traditional tea ceremony, leaning instead on connection, mindfulness, and the simple pleasure of a good cup of tea, a tradition that's been at the heart of Japanese daily life for centuries. In Japan, taking tea is meant to let guests step away from the outside world and focus on the simple, transitory moment of serving and drinking.

Each tour takes up to ten guests, and reservations are made in advance. The tasting is part of a larger series: Thursday sessions run at 9:30 AM and 11 AM, with dates including November 5, November 12, December 3, December 10, and December 17, 2026, and January 7, 2027, plus 40 more sessions through May. The garden is at 1125 N 3rd Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85003, and the tasting takes place in the tea house Musoan. Tickets are $50, which includes admission to the Tea Tour and general admission to the garden.