At 7pm, Yoshiko Kitahara invited me to a French restaurant that opened in October 2018 in the center of Ginza. A beautiful evening began, with elegant kimonos standing out in the chic and calm interior, and carefully selected Japanese teas and exquisite cuisine.

It all started with an encounter with Chinese tea.

Yoshiko Kitahara, dressed in a summery kimono with wire and wild roses in full bloom, is an expert on Chinese tea. She holds titles such as tea ceremony technician certified by the Chinese government, and is active as an instructor. She became a tea lover because ``she can't drink coffee or alcohol,'' and she has been studying Chinese tea in earnest for about 10 years. In a short period of time, she passed the difficult national exam and became a tea ceremony technician and intermediate grade tea ceremony teacher. She said, ``24 years ago, I asked my girlfriend's friend to buy some tea for me from China, and it was so delicious that I have been searching for that magical tea ever since.That was the beginning of everything. It’s perfect,” she smiles.

Carefully selected Japanese tea, as gorgeous as wine, with a deep aftertaste.

The reason Mr. Kitahara chooses ``Raffinage'' is because it is a store where you can enjoy true tea pairings. Owner-chef Yasuyuki Kora thought about pairing tea with a non-alcoholic drink that would brighten up the table and compliment the food, just like wine, and worked with Chinese tea experts to come up with the idea. The Chinese tea expert was a tea colleague whom Kitahara respected. The dinner course includes five dishes and five types of tea. The bottled tea used is domestically grown without pesticides. ``By linking the flavor and aroma of tea with the ingredients, cooking methods, and spices, tea and food deeply complement each other, and the synergistic effect enhances each other, and I am always moved by the strangeness of the pairing.''

Today's appetizer dish, cold foie gras, is paired with rose tea. ``Cold foie gras has spiced bread and cherries on the bottom, and Porto wine sauce on top, giving it a hint of red.That's why we use rose tea,'' says Chef Takara. The elegant rose-scented Uji tea and carefully prepared foie gras meet in your mouth, giving you a fresh impression.

as a musician
As a tea artist
Ginza is an indispensable city

Mr. Kitahara is also an expert in pairing tea with food and sweets. ``At tea parties, we custom order sweets, but sometimes we buy them in Ginza.We also visit Chinese teaware shops, and when it comes to kimonos, we either go to Ginza or Nihonbashi.'' Mr. Kitahara is actually a musician. He often goes to the Yamaha Ginza store. He was advised that teaching, like playing the piano, is an effective way to improve himself, and he has been leading a Chinese tea class for the past three years.

"I'm conscious of wanting to brew tea as if it were playing music. I want people to enjoy tea more freely and in a less formal way.From my experience of traveling around the world, I believe that if you have tea, you can make friends with people from any country. Even though the types of tea are different, people around the world connect and open their hearts.Encountering tea is destiny, and I feel it is my mission to convey its charm.'' He spoke clearly about the joy of a life filled with tea.

Yoshiko Kitahara
chinese tea house

Certified by the Chinese government as a tea craftsman and intermediate grade tea master. Chinese tea instructor. Chinese tea arts class sponsored by Coucou Club. Born in Osaka, raised in Tokyo. He studied piano professionally from childhood until university. He is currently active as a tea artist, and is active in events such as various tea parties and ceremonies, and collaborations with confectionery artists. He also learned the Japanese tea ceremony and holds beautiful tea ceremonies that freely harmonize Japanese, Western, and Chinese styles. He is also known as a collector and supervisor of antiques, folk art, and contemporary artists' vessels and tools. For inquiries about his tea ceremony classes, please visit his Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/yoshico.k/

Restaurant L'AFFINAGE Restaurant L'AFFINAGE
Mr. Yasuyuki Kora, who was the executive chef of ``Ginza Lecan'', became independent and is now an elegant and comfortable French restaurant, where he takes command as the owner-chef. Raffinage means "maturing," and it reflects the desire of the restaurant and the owner himself to deepen the cuisine and service so that they will mature for a long time to come, along with the guests.
Lunch from 7,000 yen, Dinner from 18,000 yen
Carefully selected tea pairing: Lunch 4,000 yen, Dinner 7,000 yen,
Wine pairing: Lunch from 4,000 yen, Dinner from 7,000 yen
(excluding service charge and consumption tax)

5-9-16 Ginza-A5 2F, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
12:00-14:00 (LO) 18:00-20:00 (LO)
Closed: Mondays, 3rd Tuesday
http://laffinage.jp

The tea company "Tea D'or"
A brand of carefully selected tea used in "Raffinage". In order to enjoy the world of Japanese tea with all five senses, we carefully select domestically grown, pesticide-free tea leaves. By carefully examining the optimal extraction conditions for each tea leaf, we created "The D'or," a bottled tea with high quality in both aroma and taste. There are eight types of bottled tea, including Gyokuro, Awa Bancha, and Hanaho (roasted tea), and leaf cans are also available. Also available for purchase online.
http://the-teacompany.jp/