IYEMON SALON
TEA AND THE MACHIYA
ZONING
Tea Culture Flourishes
in the Azuchi-Momoyama Period
This period marked the development of
architectural forms,
including shoin (residential)
and sukiya (teahouse) styles,
designed for the enjoyment of tea.
As tea culture became more popularized
in subsequent eras such as Edo,
Meiji, Taisho and Showa,
the machiya, or townhouse style of architecture,
established its place among the common people.
IYEMON SALON KYOTO is an expression of
this traditional architectural style,
passed down as part of tea culture over the ages and
reinterpreted in the form of a modern café.
Located on the premises of one of
Kyoto’s most venerable Yuzen textile shops—
established in Kyoto’s Sanjo district
at about the time tea culture first developed—
IYEMON SALON KYOTO was designed as a place for communicating
a culture and mindset through tea.
-
What’s
MACHIYA - Generally, the term machiya refers to the homes of traditional merchants
or other urban dwellings, particularly those built between the Edo period
and just prior to World War II.
Many of them can be found in what were once castle towns, as well as
in the former post towns located along the routes between major cities.
IYEMON SALON
SCENERY WITH CHA
The Characteristics and Flavors of Tea Depend on the Variety and Production Method
IYEMON SALON KYOTO offers new ways of enjoying tea in surroundings designed to enhance the experience,
whether with a meal or light snack, or as a luxury to be savored on its own.
CHA
At IYEMON SALON KYOTO, we offer a wide variety of teas, using only the finest tea leaves carefully selected by the tea master of Kyoto’s venerable Fukujuen. Here you can enjoy not only traditional matcha, but everything from tea-based beverages to alcohol, all presented with a style unique to IYEMON SALON KYOTO.
TEA COUNTER
At our modern Tea Counter, each serving is prepared with exquisite care. A special menu exclusive to the Tea Counter is also available, including tea made with hand-kneaded gyokuro tea leaves, which are actually edible.
CHAKAI
IYEMON SALON KYOTO holds its own chakai, or informal tea ceremonies where everyone is welcome to try a variety of teas, including sencha, gyokuro and matcha. These chakai focus on a number of different approaches to enjoying tea, from the secrets to preparing the best-tasting pot of tea, offered by a tea instructor, to our Kimono CHAKAI, where participants can wear kimono as part of the tea-drinking experience.
GOODS
Fill your life with tea, and color. The teas used at IYEMON SALON KYOTO are available for purchase in our shop, along with tea sets and other merchandise. Find distinctive items perfect for everyday use.
IYEMON SALON
ENJOYMENT WITH TEA
Enjoy the Warmth of a More Nostalgic Time, Along With Chef-Inspired Gifts From the Land
Healthy ingredients and traditional wisdom bring out the finest flavors. Designed to hearken back to the Showa period,
which welcomed in an era of a gradual intermingling of cultures,
IYEMON SALON KYOTO offers a warm, modern take on the family table,
perfect for every situation in the day from
waking up to in the morning
to enjoying with a group of friends at night.
FLUFFY,
FLAME-STEAMED RICE
IYEMON SALON KYOTO’s Aizu-grown Keishomai rice is cooked over open flame in the traditional manner, something to enjoy with a raw egg on top for breakfast, or as a dinner dish and the finishing touch on an evening meal.
SPECIAL MENU SUPERVISED BY
CHEF TOKUOKA
OF KYOTO ARASHIYAMA KITCHO
IYEMON SALON KYOTO also offers a menu specially created by our food advisor, Executive Chef Tokuoka of the famed restaurant Kyoto Arashiyama KITCHO.
TEATIME SWEETS FROM IYEMON
Find new ways of enjoying afternoon teatime with a selection of sweets from IYEMON SALON.(Available after 3 p.m.)
TEA ENCOUNTERS ALCOHOL
IYEMON SALON KYOTO offers a selection of “CHA COCKTAILS” using our matcha, gyokuro, and genmai tea varieties. Liven up your evening gathering with everything from our original tea shochu, extracted from tea leaves, to cocktails made with our own matcha liqueur.
COLLABORATION
IYEMON SALON KYOTO is sustained by
those who empathize with our aspiration to
offer a new lifestyle through tea.
-
CHISO CO., LTD.
For more than 450 years, since its founding in 1555, Chiso Co., Ltd., a venerable purveyor of Kyo Yuzen dyed textiles and kimono, has had its shop at 80 Mikura-cho, Sanjo Karasuma Nishi-iru. IYEMON SALON KYOTO offers Chiso’s Kyo Yuzen designs through a variety of merchandise, post cards and other products. The dying techniques, many varied patterns and beautiful, bold designs that form the Chiso tradition continue to be passed down today.
-
CAFE COMPANY INC. PLANNING AND OPERATIONS
The “Cafe” in the company’s name also stands for “Community Access For Everyone.” The company works to make cafes an integral part of the urban landscape, forming communities deeply rooted in their neighborhoods and suggesting a more active way of life. As a partner in producing IYEMON SALON KYOTO, Cafe Company hopes to use the café as a stage for offering this new lifestyle.
-
KUNIO TOKUOKA EXECUTIVE CHEF, ARASHIYAMA
HEADQUARTERS OF KYOTO KITCHO
Photos : Noriko Yamaguchi Grandson of KITCHO founder Teiichi Yuki, often seen as responsible for raising Japanese cuisine to the level of art, Kunio Tokuoka began his training at the Arashiyama headquarters of Kyoto KITCHO at the age of 15. Today, he oversees the kitchen there as executive chef, while also participating in global events that attract top chefs from around the world and continuing a broad range of other activities. His belief in the power of food, and his desire to convey that power to as many people as possible, meshed well with the aspirations of IYEMON SALON KYOTO, and Chef Tokuoka joined the project as one of its most formidable advisors. -
KEI TANIGUCHI PHOTOGRAPHER
Born in Kyoto and raised in Yokohama, Taniguchi graduated from the Photography Department of Nihon University College of Art. After traveling the world from a base in New York, he relocated to Tokyo in 2004. Taniguchi’s work has covered a wide range of genres, including magazines, advertising and CD covers. The photos he took for the opening of IYEMON SALON KYOTO can be seen in our pamphlets and on display in our gallery. -
ASAHIYAKI POTTERY
The Asahi pottery is one of several that were established along the Uji River overlooking Byodo-in Temple during the Keicho period (1596-1615). Asahi’s founder is said to have been instructed by the great Edo period artist Kobori Enshu, who conferred the two-character Asahi name. The Asahi pottery built its reputation on its tea bowls, popular among the many practitioners of tea in Uji, a major tea-growing district. Its traditions and techniques have been passed down from child to grandchild over the centuries, and the family continues to maintain its kiln in Uji to this day.
Years of research have gone into of the Asahi pottery’s hobin, or teapots, which today are as familiar as Uji tea itself, and which are designed to enhance the flavor of tea, turning the enjoyment of tea into a moment of bliss. The pottery’s brightly-colored tea sets can be enjoyed at our Tea Counter, and some of the items are also for sale in our shop.
