Sencha Tea Ceremony Summer Oubaku Baisa Ryu and Kigata Banko Teapot

Haruka Matsuo is the only tea master in Europe who performs tea ceremonies according to the Oubaku Baisa Ryu tradition, using loose tea leaves instead of the more commonly used matcha powder.

During this tea ceremony, you will be served premium Gyokuro green tea, including a refreshing cold-brewed Gyokuro (Reisen), especially enjoyed during the summer season for its delicate sweetness and rich umami. The tea is accompanied by specially prepared Japanese delicacies in a seasonal summer style.

Haruka is also a successor to the traditional Japanese pottery craft of Kigata Banko-yaki. Using a unique wooden mold that has been transformed into a one-of-a-kind puzzle, she creates her own teapots. The tea ceremony is conducted using handmade teapots crafted from clay that she personally collected from the IJssel River, making each tea experience a unique expression of both tea culture and craftsmanship.

The Japanese teahouse “Tea Tree, Tea Treaty” is more than just a building. It is a place for encounter, reflection, and connection — with each other, with nature, and with the site itself.

The teahouse is located in the garden of Stichting Meentwerf, within walking distance of the grasslands and shallow waters that connect the Naardermeer with the Ankeveense Plassen. This proximity is no coincidence: in the Japanese tradition, the path to the teahouse serves as a mental preparation for the ceremony.

The teahouse was built entirely using reused materials, including original parts of the Meentwerf building — formerly a fire station. The clay for the earthen interior wall and the ceramic tea utensils were sourced by Haruka herself from the Naardermeer.