Tea Ceremony Dress Code

What is appropriate dress for a tea ceremony? I am going to Toko-an at the Imperial Hotel for a demonstration. The ceremony is mid-day, so I will be site-seeing before and after and want to be as comfortable as possible.

The guests at the tea ceremonies that I have attended were dressed rather formally, i.e. men wore suits and women in dresses/skirts. However these were invite only events by tea ceremony clubs, and the guest were generally older. What is the situation of the one that you are going to? If it is part of a tour then the dress code may be more relaxed. Then again the Imperial hotel is a rather upscale hotel, so I would try to dress as conservatively as possible for the season.

Amy,

Why not ask the Imperial Hotel for advise. I'm sure they know best. By the way, however, I'm not familiar with "Toko-an." I wonder which hotel branch it is at.

Great advise Uco! If if helps here's the website of the Imperial Hotel which includes their phone number (although I didn't see an email address):

http://www.imperialhotel.co.jp/e/tokyo/facility

btw, Toko-an seems to be the name of the tea ceremony room at the Tokyo branch of the Imperial as seen on this page:

http://www.imperialhotel.co.jp/e/tokyo/destination/760

Thanks, yllwsmrf. I notice now that it was shown on the "banquet" section of the hotel's official website.

Amy, just a tip. When I travel to foreign cities, I usually pack or wear a pair of loose cotton pants and a light handsome jacket. These are not necessarily tailored, but usually something I pick up at Lands End, Eddie Bauer or the like. They are comfortable and proper-looking at the same time.

I also wear flat leather or swede shoes. These shoes can often be more comfortable than sneakers if you're only walking on the pavement and not hiking in the mountains.

If you're sightseeing in the city, you want to look good anyway. These kind of clothing keeps me comfortable even if I hop from a teenager's mall to a fancy museum or even to a tea ceremony demonstration.

Thanks for your help everyone! I ended up finding an e-mail address for the hotel. Turns out there isn't a dress code. But I'll keep everyone's tips in mind as I pack!