Urasenke

What Urasenke does

Urasenke UK is the London branch of the Urasenke Foundation (裏千家, Urasenke Konnichian), one of the principal schools of Japanese tea ceremony (Chado) headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. Officially launched in 2011 by Urasenke XV Grand Master Genshitsu Sen (鷺雲斎宗匠), the organization operates as a non-profit cultural entity whose stated aim is to promote the understanding and practice of Chado, a tradition with over 400 years of documented history. The organization serves the general public, novices curious about Chado, and experienced practitioners of Japanese tea ceremony through a combination of free public demonstrations and structured training.

Its service portfolio centers on Chado demonstrations and keiko (traditional practice/training) delivered in person. The technical "product" is the codified Urasenke methodology for Chado, including the standard sequence of yu (hot water), hana (flowers), cha (tea), kashi (sweets), and sumi (charcoal). Free public Chado presentations are delivered monthly at the British Museum's Mitsubishi Galleries and at Japan House London, each consisting of a concise talk followed by matcha preparation lasting approximately 30 minutes. Structured keiko is offered at five UK locations — the London Branch (4 Langton Way, SE3 7TL), London Chado Group (Covent Garden), Berkshire Study Group (Maidenhead), Cambridge Group, and Edinburgh Group — with classes held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, plus advanced soden keiko sessions arranged on selected dates.

The organization does not appear to operate as a commercial enterprise. No revenue, pricing, or fee structure is disclosed; all public demonstrations are free with no registration required, and keiko sessions are described as offered to participants without explicit commercial terms. Operations are sustained through parent-foundation support and the Tankokai UK Association, a community of practitioners that also conducts outreach into UK schools (activities initiated in 2009). The organization has six identified personnel/contact points and a single operational HQ in London, with no disclosed funding rounds, M&A activity, or institutional investor involvement.

Name

Urasenke

Legal name

Urasenke UK

Website

https://urasenke.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Urasenke UK is the London branch of the Urasenke Foundation that promotes and teaches Chado (traditional Japanese tea ceremony) through free public demonstrations at venues like the British Museum and structured keiko training at five UK locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Cultural Education Services: Urasenke UK operates as a non-profit cultural organization providing free Chado demonstrations and tea ceremony training. Revenue model is not explicitly disclosed as the organization appears to be funded through parent organization support and community donations rather than direct sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Urasenke UK is the London branch of the Urasenke Foundation (裏千家), a Japanese tea ceremony school, delivering free public Chado (Way of Tea) presentations at the British Museum and Japan House London alongside traditional keiko (practice/training) classes offered to novices and experienced practitioners at five UK locations (London, Covent Garden, Maidenhead, Cambridge, Edinburgh). The organization also arranges advanced soden keiko sessions for qualified practitioners and supports the Tankokai UK Association of tea ceremony practitioners, with all services grounded in the 400+ year Urasenke Chado lineage.

Product overview

Urasenke UK is a branch of the Urasenke Foundation (Urasenke Konnichian), promoting the understanding and practice of Chado (The Way of Tea), a tradition with over 400 years of history in Japan. The organization offers a portfolio of cultural education services including Keiko (traditional tea ceremony training in authentic Urasenke style), advanced Soden Keiko sessions, and public Chado presentations. Training is delivered through a network of five physical locations across the UK (London, Berkshire, Cambridge, and Edinburgh), with classes held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The organization is supported by the Tankokai UK Association and operates in partnership with cultural institutions including the British Museum and Japan House London.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chado Presentations (Public Demonstrations) Free public demonstrations and introductions to Japanese tea traditions held monthly at the British Museum (Mitsubishi Galleries, 5th floor, rooms 92-94) and additionally at Japan House London. Sessions are open to the public free of charge with no registration required, and last approximately 30 minutes. Designed for the general public — both those curious about Chado and seasoned enthusiasts.
• Keiko (Traditional Tea Ceremony Training) Traditional Japanese tea ceremony practice and training in the authentic Urasenke style, offered free of charge to both novices and experienced Chado practitioners. Classes are held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays across five UK locations: London Branch (4 Langton Way, SE3 7TL), London Chado Group (Covent Garden), Berkshire Study Group (Maidenhead), Cambridge Group, and Edinburgh Group.
• Soden Keiko (Advanced Training) Advanced-level traditional tea ceremony training sessions arranged on selected dates for practitioners at an advanced level who have obtained qualifications. Offered by the Urasenke London Branch as a progression path beyond standard keiko classes.

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Tankokai UK AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Tankokai UK is an association formed mainly by practitioners of the Way of Tea, with activities starting in 2009 through school presentations. Officially launched in London in 2011 by Urasenke XV Grand Master Genshitsu Sen. The association supports Urasenke's activities in communities through study groups and training. Tankokai associations can be found throughout the world.
• Urasenke FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Urasenke Foundation (based in Kyoto, Japan) is the parent organization of Urasenke UK. As a branch of the foundation, Urasenke UK promotes the understanding and practice of Chado (The Way of Tea) with over 400 years of history, organizing lectures, demonstrations, and training sessions under the guidance of the Grand Master.
• Genshitsu Sen (XV Grand Master)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrasenke XV Grand Master Genshitsu Sen officially launched Tankokai UK in London in 2011, establishing the UK branch's formal connection to the global Urasenke network and lending prominence to Chado activities in the region.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Omotesenke: One of the three principal schools of Japanese tea ceremony alongside Urasenke. Operates its own global network of affiliated branches teaching Chado through traditional training and public demonstrations, directly competing with Urasenke for the same practitioner and cultural-curiosity audience.
• Mushakōji Senke: The third Senke school of Japanese tea ceremony, offering traditional Chado instruction and overseas outreach. Comparable to Urasenke in lineage-based authenticity and global diaspora activity, serving the same specialist practitioner market.

Broad incumbents

• Japan House London: London-based cultural institution that hosts Chado demonstrations by Tankokai UK and a wide range of Japanese cultural programming. Operates in the same Japanese cultural education space but with a much broader mandate covering food, technology, design, and arts.

Others

• Japan Foundation London: The UK arm of the Japan Foundation, delivering Japanese cultural and language programming. Comparable as a publicly supported vehicle for Japanese cultural dissemination in the UK, paralleling Tankokai UK's role as a community-led outreach channel.
• SOAS University of London: London university offering Japan-focused academic and cultural programs including tea ceremony workshops. Comparable as a UK institution offering structured Chado exposure, though within a broader academic and language curriculum.
• The Japan Society: UK-based charity promoting understanding of Japanese culture through events, lectures, and educational programs. Comparable as a UK organization promoting Japanese cultural literacy, though it covers all of Japanese society rather than specializing in Chado.
• Midorikai Alumni Association: Alumni network linked to Urasenke training programs, referenced directly on the Urasenke UK website. Comparable as a community organization sustaining practitioner engagement around Urasenke Chado, though focused on alumni outreach rather than active teaching.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/urasenke.uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urasenke

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Urasenke