This is a tea shop in Funaya, Ine Town where you can enjoy authentic Taiwanese tea while admiring the beautiful sea. I had a lovely time, with a relaxed atmosphere and delicious tea. The staff carefully prepared the tea for us. When you open the door, it may feel a bit hesitant at first, but as you step inside, you'll see the cozy room. Since I visited alone this time, the staff recommended a single seat for me. The table seemed a bit unstable, just a board placed on a round chair, but personally, I found this style to be casual and enjoyable. I even saw a little crab walking around. I would love to visit again.

"The restaurant 'Chinzao' looks just like a normal house, is this really the place? I wondered as I opened the sliding door and asked, 'Excuse me, is this a tea house?' as I entered. At the back of the corridor, there was a view of the sea, with seating for 3 groups of 6 people in a renovated boat house. It was advertised as specializing in Taiwanese tea leaves, so I thought they might have tapioca tea or mango cake, but it seems not. When I visited, most people were surprised that this place has no menu at all. Despite the lack of a menu, the owner asks, 'What would you like?' The owner says they have all kinds of tea. So, I decided to go with a safe choice and ordered 'Oolong tea'. Instead of being able to order different teas separately, you receive one type of tea, making it a very specialized tea shop. The owner brews the first cup for you, but he is shy, so taking a picture of him brewing is not allowed. The owner did some research and found out that 'Butterfly Pea' is actually a legume called 'Choumame', similar to barley tea and not technically a 'tea'. The Oolong tea was very delicious, and the pot had plenty of hot water so you could have as many cups as you wanted. The tea snacks were dried fruits like tomatoes, kumquats, and peaches. It was a very relaxing and comfortable space, with crystal clear seawater at your feet. Time seemed to slow down for a while... until it was time to pay. It cost ¥2,700 for two people! The tea was indeed delicious. The owner originally sold tea in Kyoto and later moved to Ine Town. They mainly do online sales and seem to handle high-quality tea leaves. Since there is no menu, it might be a good idea to tell the owner your budget first so they can choose the tea leaves for you. *The couple in the photo is not me."

I found this place while taking a leisurely walk after having a meal. I didn't pay much attention when I entered, but inside, I discovered a very calming space that used the boat house of Ine for its setting, with a magnificent view of Ine Bay right in front of me. The focus here is on enjoying Taiwanese tea, with no sweets available. However, the tea offered is of high quality, and if you convey your preferences, they will recommend a tea that suits your taste. The prices are a bit high, but I was able to enjoy a luxurious and soothing time here.

A Taiwanese tea specialty shop located in a traditional boat house in Ine. The boat house serves as the shop, with tables made from beer crates. There are only three tables, so if you're unlucky, you may end up waiting for quite a while. When I visited, all three tables were occupied. I offered to come back later, but the kind owner said, "We'll be open soon, please wait a bit longer." I decided to wait as I wanted to see inside the boat house, but ended up waiting for over 20 minutes. During that time, I took photos inside the boat house. The boat house is essentially a garage for boats, located right by the sea. When tourist boats pass by, waves are stirred up, and during high tide, seawater can even enter the shop. The owner mentioned that only locals can handle the rough boat driving. When asked what tea I wanted, with no knowledge of Taiwanese tea, I ordered "Alishan" just because I knew the name. The owner's expression darkened and suggested I try "Da Ban Ling" instead, as this year's "Alishan" was not good. "Da Ban Ling" is a high mountain oolong tea produced in the world's highest tea-growing region at 2,800m. It is considered the pinnacle of high mountain tea, with limited production due to its restricted tea garden area, making it a rare and unknown tea referred to as a "phantom tea." As a novice, I couldn't discern the detailed taste of the tea, but it left a clear and refreshing impression. A tea set was served, and the owner poured the first cup for me, explaining the tea's characteristics and how to drink it. As he counted to 50 while pouring hot water, I couldn't help but interrupt with a laugh. Along with the tea set, a glass was served, and I wondered its purpose until the first tea was poured into it, then discarded, allowing me to enjoy the remaining aroma. The scent changes over time, and indeed, after a while, I detected a vanilla-like fragrance. When I mentioned this to the owner, he seemed delighted, showing his true love for tea. The set came with dried tomatoes and kumquat as tea snacks, costing around 1400 yen. You can have around 10 cups of tea. Enjoying Taiwanese tea while gazing at the boat house scenery, time passed slowly and peacefully.

On September 21, 2020 (Monday, public holiday), I visited a tea shop and had a delicious oolong tea for 925 yen (split with a friend). I went with two friends for a tea break. The shop had a view of the sea right in front of us. We enjoyed the sound of the waves hitting the concrete as background music while sipping on the fragrant and tasty oolong tea. Even if you're not familiar with tea, the staff will kindly guide you, making you feel at ease. The cozy atmosphere made us forget about the busyness of daily life. Although the seating is limited and we couldn't stay for too long considering other customers, the place had such a comfortable vibe that made us want to spend the whole day there relaxing.

I drove from Tajima to Tango Peninsula. Starting from Kinosaki, I circled around Tango Peninsula towards Ine, Amanohashidate, and Maizuru. We had a seafood meal for lunch and continued driving along the Tango Peninsula until we reached Ine. While enjoying our meal, we researched for a good restaurant in Ine for our next destination and found this place. However, there was a waiting list at the restaurant, so we wandered around Ine town until the rain stopped and the water calmed down, allowing us to appreciate the beauty of Ine. After about an hour of waiting, we were finally able to enter the restaurant. The restaurant was located in a garage-like space of a boathouse, with only space for two groups of customers. It felt like we were almost at the same level as the sea, creating a unique and pleasant atmosphere. We were able to choose from a variety of teas and enjoyed a pot service with proper Chinese tea sets. We learned about the different tea leaves and decided to try a tea called "Buddha's Hand" that we had never tasted before. It was a luxurious experience to leisurely spend time sipping tea while overlooking the calm sea and the boathouses and fishermen on the opposite shore. This hidden gem allows you to truly feel the charm of Ine up close. It may be difficult for it to remain a hidden gem for long though...

I wanted to enjoy the scenic view of the boat houses in Ine Town and have a cup of tea. I remembered seeing a signboard for a Taiwanese tea specialty shop near the liquor store I visited earlier. So, I went back to check it out. It seemed like a cafe using the boat houses. When I entered the shop... no one was there. I called out but no one came. As I walked towards the back, I found a space where a boat could enter with tables and chairs that seemed random and makeshift. It felt a bit suspicious (laughs). Just as I started to feel uneasy, the owner or someone who seemed like the owner appeared. He had a strange vibe too, making me even more nervous (laughs). Since I was already inside, I decided to sit at the table closest to the sea. Now, there was no menu or price list. The owner asked me what kind of tea I liked. I was clueless about the different types of Taiwanese tea (embarrassed laugh). The conversation didn't quite match up, and after a while, we settled on a strong and sweet Oolong tea recommended by the owner. He brought out a set of tea utensils and made the first cup for me. I learned that you're supposed to immediately transfer the tea to another glass to just smell the aroma. The Oolong tea was delicious, but what really stood out was the amazing view of the boat houses across the sea right in front of us. Since no other customers showed up, we had the serene and calming space all to ourselves, which was definitely one of the highlights of this trip. I was nervous about the bill since I had no idea how much it would be, but it turned out to be 2,180 yen. Phew, I was relieved it wasn't more (laughs). Overall, it was a wonderfully strange and lovely experience. If you ever visit Ine, be sure to check it out! Thank you for the meal.

Ine's boat house has a shop selling Taiwanese tea, with a Wuyi Oolong tea priced at 2,510 yen. The location is excellent.

Cash only.

Oolong tea ¥1,320

In the Kyoto by the Sea and Amanohashidate area, there is a cozy tea house called Funaya where you can enjoy delicious Taiwanese tea while gazing at the sea. The tomatoes and kumquats served as tea snacks were also delicious. I liked the tea so much that I bought 50g of Pouchong tea for 40 yen per gram. The packaging was very neat, and now I can enjoy Taiwanese tea at home as well. Thank you for the wonderful experience.