Anyways, I've always wanted to experience having traditional tea in Japan and I guess my experience at Rakusuien is closest to that.
The 'tea' room is just beside the entrance to Rakusuien and the ticket window. Entrance to the garden is Y100 and if you want to avail of the tea, that's an extra Y500. There are two tatami rooms and each can accommodate about 8-10 pax although they try to limit to 6-8 pax. I think you can also reserve a 'solo' tatami room and they also allow 'photoshoots' for added fee, of course.
Tea will be served 'personally' and if you want to capture it (here's my video), you have to be quick about it because they do it fast especially if there are many visitors. Although it is allowed to stay long at the tatami room, there are instances when they have a lot of visitors who want to have tea. From what I experienced, there are also some locals who go there on a regular basis. I think if you go there early and on a weekday, you can really enjoy having tea at a leisurely pace while admiring the garden.
Aside from matcha (tea), it also comes with a tiny cake and a sweet jelly. Its 'bitin' if you are craving for a real snack portion but it was quite an amazing experience for a first-timer like me.
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