DATE:		May 2, 2006, from 13:30
PLACE:		625, Gion-cho Kitagawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
DIRECTION:		By Keihan Line to Shijo Station, and then a 5-minute walk
TEL:		81-75-561-6155
ADMISSION:		Free
TEXT:		This event introduces the history of Uji green tea.  The first tealeaves of the year in the Uji region were once regarded as the most precious. Iemitsu Tokugawa, the third Shogun, required the tea dealers to deliver this precious tea from Uji to Edo and this delivery is the origin of the event.  The tea procession consists of about 40 people, including men dressed in samurai costume, carrying the tea canister in a palanquin with streamers attached.  Women dressed in tea-picking garb and carrying tea baskets accompany the men.  It is a magnificent sight.  The women sell fresh tealeaves and offer free cups of tea.