Higashiya Ginza is one of the top tea houses in Tokyo serving Japanese afternoon tea consisting of the in-house made sweets, Japanese pickles and small rice-based savoury snacks. For any visor sitting down, relaxing and enjoying a pot of one of the high quality Japanese teas from Higashiya’s wide selection, becomes an authentic cultural and gastronomic encounter in the heart of Tokyo.
Higashiya tea roomHigashiya Ginza tea room
Booking a private, tatami floor low seating, room secures an experience of the full tea and food pairing menu. Anyone, without reservation, can buy the extremely attractive tea utensils designed by the owner (splurge on tea pots, cups, bowls,…) or surprise the most cherished friends, lovers or partners with the beautifully and meticulously packaged sweets and snacks on the front counter. Beware, many have a short sell-by-date. I had to, abandon the idea of tasty Christmas presents for family and friends. They are so delicate and light that the only guilt you might feel after eating them is all the paper waste from the Japanese style packaging.
Higashiya Ginza afternoon tea set featuring Japanese sweets and savoury snacks
Gift packs at Higashiya Ginza
Higashiya offers a full tea lifestyle with a fashionable twist. At their modern tea rooms blended with traditional design aspects, you can sit casually at the bar, like at a sushi counter, and watch the entire preparation right in front of you. Most of the people sipping and dining there are Japanese, this is by no means a tea room for tourists, and I love it. It feels contemporary authentic.
Higashiya Ginza tea bar
You can also just zen out at one of the wooden tables and be pampered by the waiters. You will get your tea already prepared so you can just sip and enjoy its relaxing and sharp mind promoting benefits. There are many seasonal teas according to their picking, so the lengthy menu changes as the year goes. In the spring the best and freshest teas are being picked so it is the best time to savour these (gyokuro and tip-teas are of the highest quality), while in the fall and winter the locally popular slightly roasted houjicha, genmaicha and even some pure green sencha from different regions are all good to drink.
Design tea utensils at Higashiya Ginza
Partnering with the globally known cosmetics brand Aesop in the creation of a line of sweets secured an up-to-date image to the increasingly popular concept of Higashiya Ginza. There is always someone peaking in looking to buy some sweets or snacks and the spacious tea room stays full from the morning (opens at 11am) until the late afternoon (7pm) and evening (10pm) on weekends.
Aesop Higashiya Japanese sweets
 Pola building, 1 Chome-7-7 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo, Japan.‎
 +81 3 3538 3230