[Mo-an]

As you steadily climb up Mount Yoshida in the northeast of the Kyoto Basin, a magnificent wooden structure appears. Mo-an, a Kyoto City Registered Tangible Cultural Property, operates as a cafe where you can enjoy tea.

Mount Yoshida, a hill standing east of Kyoto University and also known as “Kaguraoka,” has its western side forming the grounds of Yoshida Shrine. It's a place where you can feel nature amidst the city, filled with a divine atmosphere. Mo-an was originally built during the Taisho era as a venue for the tea ceremony. It perfectly embodies the concept of “mountain retreat within the city” (shichu no sankyo), allowing one to enjoy mountain scenery while remaining in the city, which has become Mo-an's catchphrase.

Mo-an was created during the Taisho era by a tea enthusiast named Tanigawa Shigejiro. After experiencing several ventures, Shigejiro achieved success in a transportation business centered on newsprint that he established in Osaka. Encouraged by the president of a paper company he dealt with, he began studying the tea ceremony. After formally entering the Urasenke school and deepening his expertise as a tea enthusiast, he built an expansive tea garden atop Mount Yoshida. This included an eight-seat tea room, a moon-viewing platform, and a pavilion, all set within a vast forest. He frequently hosted tea gatherings, deepening his connections with many tea masters.

After Shigejiro's death, the site remained closed for decades. The current style emerged when the former dining hall was repurposed as a cafe, named “Mo-an” after Shigejiro's pen name. Operating as a reservation-priority cafe away from the hustle and bustle, it also functions as a rental space. Tea ceremonies are still practiced in the two surviving tea rooms.

Recently, after enjoying a stroll bathed in greenery on Mount Yoshida, my feet led me to Mo-an. Though I hadn't made a reservation, luckily, after waiting briefly on a bench downstairs, I was soon guided upstairs. Sitting at the counter by the window, I gazed at the lush greenery, with the cityscape of Kyoto and the distant mountains stretching out beyond. At that moment, it felt like my soul was being cleansed. I had shaved ice with fresh yuzu syrup, a set of Japanese black tea, and sake. In the mountains, I spent a dreamlike, sublime time. If you wish to savor quiet Kyoto, venture a little way to Sakyo Ward and visit this mountain retreat within the city.

Mo-an
https://maps.app.goo.gl/sho76RUv5MUsdNaT8
Showroom Information
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/

References
https://www.mo-an.com/
https://www.hachise.jp/rent/moan/