Kanrantei
Kanrantei
4
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
70 reviews
Excellent
18
Very good
32
Average
17
Poor
2
Terrible
1
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k_matsu132
Kushiro, Japan23,308 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Kanrantei is located behind the rest house where the ticket office for sightseeing boats to tour Matsushima Bay is located. The building stands on a cliff one level above the coast. Kanrantei is a part of Fushimi Momoyama Castle, which was bestowed upon Date Masamune by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. It was moved to the domain residence in Shinagawa, Edo, and then moved here by the second domain lord, Tadamune, without changing a single stone.
Since it is built on a higher level, the view of Matsushima Coast is magnificent. They also offer matcha sets, so it might be nice to sip your tea and look at the magnificent view before you while composing a haiku, such as "Matsushimaya..."
Since it is built on a higher level, the view of Matsushima Coast is magnificent. They also offer matcha sets, so it might be nice to sip your tea and look at the magnificent view before you while composing a haiku, such as "Matsushimaya..."
Written December 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michelle M
Sendai, Japan146 contributions
Apr 2019 • Solo
If you’ve come all the way to Matsushima you have to check out this place. You can order Macha and sweets and enjoy the scenery of pine covered islands, just like they did 400 plus years ago when Lord Date’s wife used this tea house. It’s a bargain at ¥200 entrance fee plus your choice of menu, mine was another ¥700. Delicious for eyes and mouth. Matsushima ya!
Written April 4, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heikki S
Sendai, Japan96 contributions
Sep 2016 • Solo
Have you ever moved house? As in moving an entire house. 800km without machinery. Well, that is exactly what the Date clan did when Toyotomi Hideyoshi gifted this tea house to them. They moved the building from Kyoto to Matsushima to serve as a guesthouse for their visitors. Nowadays you can enjoy a calming cup of tea and some sweets while looking unto Matsushima Bay. If you are done with the tea and the view, you can visit the small museum behind the teahouse. It holds a lot of information about the area and its history. The ordering system is pretty funky in this tea house. You order and pay at the gate and get your tea and sweets once you reach the house itself.
Written August 20, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ART196
244 contributions
Mar 2016 • Solo
Kanrantei, situated on a rocky outcropping overlooking the bay, is a teahouse and the only remaining structure of 11 which formed the mansion complex used as an okariya (guesthouse) by the Date family to entertain visiting guests. During the Edo Period, Matsushima was already a popular tourist destination, though such travellers were hardly commoners. Feudal lords came to Kanrantei to enjoy moon-viewing on cool summer nights.
The teahouse actually started its career at Fushimijō, a “pleasure castle” built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1594, and was gifted to Date Masamune who moved it to his Edo residence. Date Tadamune then moved it to Matsushima by ship. Kanrantei contains 21 fusuma panels depicting Edo life, and a room of Kinbusuma called Gozonoma, designed for receiving distinguished guests. Two rooms of eighteen tatami mats each are surrounded by a single corridor. Modern guests can’t go in Gozonoma on regular days, but they can take Matcha in the other room whilst enjoying the view of the bay. Since Kanrantei is a tsukumi-goten, moon viewing parties are still held on summer evenings today. Kanrantei is exemplary of the Shointzukuri style of architecture.
The teahouse actually started its career at Fushimijō, a “pleasure castle” built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1594, and was gifted to Date Masamune who moved it to his Edo residence. Date Tadamune then moved it to Matsushima by ship. Kanrantei contains 21 fusuma panels depicting Edo life, and a room of Kinbusuma called Gozonoma, designed for receiving distinguished guests. Two rooms of eighteen tatami mats each are surrounded by a single corridor. Modern guests can’t go in Gozonoma on regular days, but they can take Matcha in the other room whilst enjoying the view of the bay. Since Kanrantei is a tsukumi-goten, moon viewing parties are still held on summer evenings today. Kanrantei is exemplary of the Shointzukuri style of architecture.
Written April 21, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pierre3007
Lismore, Australia175 contributions
Apr 2015 • Couples
Enjoyed a very pleasant morning tea in the sun at this tea house and museum. The outlook was very nice and the atmosphere was very peaceful away from the tourist bustle. The museum was very small and contained a lot of items already viewed elsewhere. Worth a visit.
Written April 13, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheDoor_isopen
Tuggeranong, Australia2,893 contributions
Apr 2014 • Couples
Whilst this may be a very old tea house there is nothing to it except a nice view. The museum attached has 2 or 3 worthwhile exhibits but no descriptions. It needs developing and some English descriptions.
Written April 11, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StanleyAuckland
Auckland, New Zealand2,214 contributions
We stayed overnight in Matsushima May 2006.
Kanrantei Teahouse was originally built in Kyoto for Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He later gifted it to the Date Clan and in 1645 it was shifted to a small island on the shoreline. Behind it and on the same island is the small Matsushima Historical Museum.
Both are worth a visit.
Kanrantei Teahouse was originally built in Kyoto for Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He later gifted it to the Date Clan and in 1645 it was shifted to a small island on the shoreline. Behind it and on the same island is the small Matsushima Historical Museum.
Both are worth a visit.
Written January 14, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Greg A
La Porte City, IA129 contributions
Jun 2017 • Couples
This place is very nice. We had the tea and pumpkin cake. The cake didnt taste like pumpkin so do shy from it at all.
After the tea and cake there is a gift area that was very nice. We went into the museum in the back and that was amazing that they let the maps or inks out for people to see up close and not touch.
After the tea and cake there is a gift area that was very nice. We went into the museum in the back and that was amazing that they let the maps or inks out for people to see up close and not touch.
Written June 21, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nelumbo-Nucifera
Singapore, Singapore596 contributions
Feb 2016 • Friends
A group of us went to Kanrantei for the matcha (green tea) experience.
It was fun sitting in the teahouse watching the view and drinking green tea. The matcha was so good that some of us asked the servers whether we could buy some to bring home.
Kanrantei was formerly a teahouse for the nobility to sit and look at Matsushima Bay and the moon during the evenings.
Next door is a small museum with some interesting exhibits and paintings of events that took place here.
The matcha expeirence is highly recommended if you like green tea.
It was fun sitting in the teahouse watching the view and drinking green tea. The matcha was so good that some of us asked the servers whether we could buy some to bring home.
Kanrantei was formerly a teahouse for the nobility to sit and look at Matsushima Bay and the moon during the evenings.
Next door is a small museum with some interesting exhibits and paintings of events that took place here.
The matcha expeirence is highly recommended if you like green tea.
Written March 12, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jacqui P
Sendai, Japan7 contributions
Nov 2015 • Friends
I love going for tea here, very reasonably priced and great quality. The view is lovely, in the old days it was only for the most important people, but now you can be too! My favourite spot to bring visiting friends and family.
Written March 9, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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