金沢町家：地元の茶人による貸切茶会

Dear Clio san, Thank you for these kind words, and for writing so soon after your visit — it was a real pleasure to have you both. I have to say, I was struck by your itinerary: eight days in Japan and half of them in Kanazawa. Most travellers pass through in an afternoon, so to see you settle in and truly get to know the city — Ishikawa Million Stars included — was wonderful. That’s how Kanazawa is best experienced, and I suspect you’ll take home something quite different from the usual Tokyo-Kyoto route. I’m glad the whisking was fun; it looks easier than it is, doesn’t it? And I enjoyed our conversation just as much as you did. Enjoy the rest of your time in Japan, and safe travels back to New York. Should you ever return to Kanazawa, the kettle will be waiting. Warm regards, Yuta TEA BASE Hakutaku (白澤) — Nishi Chaya, Kanazawa

Dear Pieter san, Thank you for taking the time to write, and for visiting us. You’ve noticed something that many guests don’t: whisking matcha well is genuinely difficult. It looks effortless, but that’s exactly the point — what appears simple has years of practice behind it. The fact that you felt that in your own hands means you understood something real about the tradition, and I’d say that’s the best possible outcome for a first attempt. I hope the rest of your journey through Japan is full of good discoveries — and I hope the hitsumabushi in Nagoya lives up to the anticipation. It’s a fine thing to look forward to. Safe travels back to the Netherlands, and should you ever return to Kanazawa, you’d be most welcome. Warm regards, Yuta TEA BASE Hakutaku (白澤) — Nishi Chaya, Kanazawa

Dear Brett san, Thank you for these wonderful words — reading them was a real joy. You put something into words that I rarely hear guests name: the energy created in the tearoom. That doesn't come from the host alone — it's made together, by everyone present. Your wife's questions in particular opened doors I don't often get to walk through with guests, and the conversation that followed was as memorable for me as it was, I hope, for you both. Please pass on my warm regards to her. That this became the most memorable part of your time in Japan is the greatest gift a tea host could receive. And yes — please do come again. The kettle will be waiting whenever you return to Kanazawa. With warm gratitude, and safe travels home to New Zealand, Yuta TEA BASE Hakutaku (白澤) — Nishi Chaya, Kanazawa

Dear Mallory san, Thank you so much for these thoughtful words — they truly touched me. For me, the tea and the whisking are only the beginning; what I hope every guest carries away is the conversation and the quiet shift in perspective that can happen over a bowl of tea. So to read that you gained something you’ll carry forward is, honestly, the most meaningful thing a host could hear. It was a genuine pleasure to share that time — and that exchange — with you. Should your travels ever bring you back to Kanazawa, the kettle will be waiting. Until then, safe travels home. With warm gratitude, Yuta TEA BASE Hakutaku (白澤) — Nishi Chaya, Kanazawa

Dear Daniel san, Thank you so much for these kind words — it was a real pleasure to welcome you into my home. I know Kanazawa was just a day trip for you, which makes it all the more meaningful that you chose to spend part of that precious time here with me. That you noticed the care behind the technique means a great deal — it’s the fruit of many years on this path, and nothing makes a host happier than a guest who truly sees it. Thank you for making the journey. Should you ever return to Kanazawa with a little more time, the kettle will be waiting — and until then, safe travels back to Australia. With warm gratitude, Yuta TEA BASE Hakutaku (白澤) — Nishi Chaya, Kanazawa

Querida Monica san: No sé bien cómo agradecerte estas palabras. Leerlas ha sido una verdadera emoción. Que hayáis percibido el cariño y el respeto que hay detrás de cada gesto significa muchísimo para mí — es exactamente lo que llevo diecinueve años intentando transmitir, y saber que llegó hasta vosotros en vuestro primer viaje a Japón es el mayor regalo. Y como sé que os apasiona la arquitectura, me alegra especialmente que os sintierais a gusto en esta machiya de cien años. La casa forma parte de la ceremonia tanto como el té: la luz, la madera, las proporciones del espacio… todo está pensado para acompañar ese momento de calma. Gracias también por dedicar tiempo a escribir para otros viajeros. Si algún día volvéis a Kanazawa, tendré un cuenco de té esperándoos a los dos. Con enorme gratitud, Yuta TEA BASE Hakutaku (白澤) — Nishi Chaya, Kanazawa

Thank you so much for the wonderful review! I am so happy to hear that your trip to Japan was full of such amazing moments. However, reading about your adventure with Fabi at Mt. Fuji made me chuckle—it sounds like a completely different kind of excitement compared to our quiet tea ceremony here in Kanazawa! I’m glad you got to see the mountain from every angle (especially that boat trip!), but I suspect this lovely review might have been intended for your Fuji guide. I still fondly remember our time together at TEA BASE Hakutaku. I hope the peace we found in the tea room helped you recharge for all that traveling and hiking! If you’d like to share your thoughts on our tea experience as well, I’d be honored to hear about it. Thank you for visiting us, and I hope you carry the calm of the tea room and the grandeur of Mt. Fuji with you for a long time to come. Safe travels back home! Warmly, Yuta Takahashi TEA BASE Hakutaku

Dear Yuliya san, Thank you so much for these generous words — reading them was a real joy. To hear that the three of you left “with a much deeper appreciation for Japanese tea culture” is, honestly, the whole reason I do this. Sharing the tea ceremony is never simply about the matcha in the bowl; it’s about the history, the gestures, and the quiet meaning behind each step — and there is nothing I love more than watching that unfold for guests who are truly curious. Your family’s questions and openness made the session a pleasure to host, and moments like that stay with me long after the tea has cooled. It means a great deal that the experience felt, in your words, “authentic and memorable.” Should your travels ever bring you back to Kanazawa, the kettle will be waiting — and until then, I wish you and your family many more wonderful discoveries in Japan. With warm gratitude, Yuta TEA BASE Hakutaku (白澤), Nishi Chaya, Kanazawa

Thank you so very much for these kind and thoughtful words — reading them was a real joy. I’m so glad the room itself spoke to you. The choice of flowers and utensils changes with each season and each group of guests, and it means a great deal that the care behind those quiet decisions was felt. In the tea ceremony, the setting of the room is never decoration — it is a silent welcome prepared especially for the people who will sit in it that day. To know it reached you is the highest compliment a host can receive. I’m equally glad you stepped into the role yourself and whisked your own tea. That small act — moving from watching to doing — is often where the ceremony quietly settles into memory. It was a privilege to welcome you into my home and tea room, and to share both the history and the stillness of chanoyu with you. Conversations like ours stay with me long after the bowls are cleared — and I have a feeling this one will linger for quite some time. Wishing you safe travels, wherever the road leads next. The machiya door is always open, should it ever bring you back. With warm regards, Yuta TEA BASE Hakutaku

Thank you so much for taking the time to share these thoughtful words — it truly means a great deal. Reading your reflection on the samurai tea ceremony and the precision of its procedure is genuinely moving. The Enshu-ryu lineage we practice carries over four centuries of refinement in exactly those small, deliberate gestures, and it is a quiet joy to know they spoke to you so clearly. The afternoon conversation around the history and culture of chanoyu was equally rewarding from this side of the tea bowl. And I am especially glad that whisking your own matcha became part of the experience — to participate, rather than only observe, is where the ceremony often begins to truly settle within a person. Your final reflection — that this experience felt calming and refreshing amid the noise of modern life — is perhaps the kindest thing a tea host can hear. It is exactly what a machiya tea room in Kanazawa is meant to offer. Thank you for choosing TEA BASE Hakutaku. Wishing you safe travels through the rest of Japan, and a gentle journey home. With warm regards, Yuta TEA BASE Hakutaku