Getting There 交通案内
From Osaka or Kyoto, the most direct route is the Kintetsu Yoshino Line. Board at Osaka Abenobashi or Kyoto Station and ride to the end of the line at Yoshino Station. The journey takes about two and a half hours from Osaka, a little more from Kyoto. There is no faster way. That is not an accident.
Yoshino Station sits at the base of the mountain. From the platform, turn left out of the gate and follow the main street uphill. You will pass a handful of shops selling mochi and pickled plums — it is not a bad idea to stop. The climb ahead is gentle, but it is still a climb.
After ten minutes you will reach the first torii gate. Pass through it. The road becomes a path. Keep the cedar trees on your left. At the second torii, the path narrows and the town drops away behind you. This is where visitors tend to slow down, and that is exactly right.
The teahouse appears around a bend after roughly forty minutes of walking. You will smell cedar smoke before you see the building. There is a small stone lantern at the entrance. In spring, there will be moss. In autumn, leaves pressed flat under foot. In winter, bring good shoes.
At a Glance
- Travel time from Osaka: approximately 2.5 hours by Kintetsu train
- Travel time from Kyoto: approximately 2.75 hours by train
- Walk from Yoshino Station: 40–50 minutes on a moderate uphill path
- Best seasons: spring (cherry blossom, March–April), autumn (foliage, October–November)
- What to wear: comfortable walking shoes, layers — the mountain is always cooler than the city
- There is no road access for vehicles. There is no alternative route. This is intentional.
What to Expect ご来店の際
When you arrive, remove your shoes at the entrance. A pair of house sandals will be waiting. You will be led to one of four low tables on the tatami floor. The room holds perhaps twelve people when full, though it rarely is.
Haruki — or, increasingly, his daughter Mei — will prepare your tea at the central hearth while you settle. There is no laminated menu card; we will describe what is available that day. A session lasts roughly forty-five minutes, though no one has ever been asked to leave. The second cup is always better than the first.
No reservations are needed or accepted. We seat guests as they arrive. On busy weekends in spring and autumn you may wait outside on the bench by the lantern. It is not the worst place to wait.
Hours
- Thursday through Sunday, 10:00 to 16:00
- Closed during heavy snowfall (we will post a note on the entrance gate)
- Closed for two weeks each February for garden work
- No reservations. No telephone. Come when you can.
Trail Map 地図
This sketch does not replace good directions, but it may help orient you before you set out.