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Tea Room ／ Shimane Prefecture Designated Cultural Property
Meimei-an
めいめいあん
A two-mat daime room in the taste of the daimyo tea master Matsudaira Fumai, open on a rise overlooking Matsue Castle, where matcha is served.
Meimei-an was built to the taste of Matsudaira Fumai, seventh lord of the Matsue domain and a renowned man of tea, at the Arisawa family residence in Tonomachi, Matsue. Fumai is said to have visited it often.
For a time it was moved to the Matsudaira mansion in Tokyo, then returned to Izumo and in 1928 rebuilt on the Hagi rise next to Kōgetsu-tei at the Arisawa villa, home of Kanden-an. Neglected after the war, it was moved in 1966, the 150th memorial year of Fumai, to its present site on the Akayama plateau.
A thick thatched irimoya roof carries a name tablet in Fumai's hand. The shallow alcove floor is made of five and a half narrow straight-grained cedar boards, and the two-and-three-quarter-mat room has no central post and a mukōgiri hearth—a light design that shows Fumai's disregard for convention. It is open every day, and matcha is served looking out on the garden.
GalleryGallery
The adjoining Akayama Tea HallThe adjoining Akayama Tea Hall
Next to Meimei-an is the Akayama Tea Hall, opened in 1976 for local tea schools of every lineage to use for lessons and gatherings. It has a Western-style room of about 20 mats, a mizuya and a kitchen, and can host chair-style (ryūrei) practice or meetings of around 30 people.
About Matsudaira FumaiAbout Matsudaira Fumai
Fumai (1751–1818), personal name Harusato, was the seventh lord of the Matsue domain. He took office at 17 and carried out domain reforms, while studying tea from a young age and receiving the shin-daisu transmission at 20.
In his essay 'Mudagoto' he warned against extravagance in tea, yet later collected famous utensils and wrote works such as the 18-volume 'Kokon Meibutsu Ruijū'. The inventory of his collection is known as the 'Unshū Kurachō'.
How to experience itVisit & use
Open every day; during tea-service hours matcha is served with two dry sweets in Fumai's taste.
Visitor informationInformation
| Address | 278 Kitahori-chō, Matsue, Shimane 690-0888 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Apr–Sep 9:00–18:00 / Oct–Mar 9:00–17:00 (open every day) |
| Tea service | Apr–Sep 9:50–16:30 / Oct–Mar 9:50–16:00 |
| Admission | Adults ¥600 / Children ¥300 (groups of 20+: ¥480 / ¥240) |
| Tea fee | Matcha with two Fumai-style dry sweets ¥600 |
Sources (checked 2026年10月)
Tea Room
Interior
Garden
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