“Kurashiki Afternoon Tea” has become a regular sweets event in Kurashiki City. Featuring generous amounts of fruit grown in Okayama Prefecture, Kurashiki Afternoon Tea is a uniquely Kurashiki event that draws many participants every year.
I’m one of its fans, too, always looking forward to thinking, “Which shop should I visit next?”
Kurashiki Afternoon Tea, which enjoys enduring popularity among repeat visitors, marked its 10th anniversary in 2024. To celebrate, “Kurashiki Halloween Afternoon Tea” will be held.
I can’t imagine what this first-ever themed afternoon tea will be like.
I spoke with the organizers about their feelings on reaching the 10th anniversary and how this Halloween afternoon tea came to be planned.
The information presented here is current as of the article’s publication in September 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What Is “Kurashiki Halloween Afternoon Tea”?
Kurashiki Halloween Afternoon Tea is an event planned to mark the 10th anniversary of “Kurashiki Afternoon Tea,” which is held every summer and winter.
Kurashiki Afternoon Tea, which makes generous use of fruit grown in Okayama Prefecture, draws many people to participating shops every year, from both inside and outside the city. It has a rule that “peaches and grapes must be used in summer, and strawberries in winter,” and each shop has prepared its own carefully crafted menu each time.
This Kurashiki Halloween Afternoon Tea, however, is a little different.
The only set requirement is the Halloween theme, and any fruit grown in the prefecture can be used. With Halloween as a shared theme, each shop has created an afternoon tea brimming with its own personality.
Autumn is the season when many fruits come into season. You can also enjoy fruits that haven’t appeared in Kurashiki Afternoon Tea before, such as persimmons, figs, chestnuts, and pears.
One of its charms is that you can enjoy a completely different Halloween at each shop, from poppy, cute Halloween sweets to gruesome treats designed for realism.
The event will be held from Tuesday, October 1, to Monday, November 4, 2024 (a public holiday).
As this is a limited-time event lasting about a month, anyone interested should check the Kurashiki Afternoon Tea website.
Kurashiki Afternoon Tea has reached its milestone 10th anniversary. We spoke with Morita Miki of the Kurashiki Afternoon Tea Executive Committee and Inoue Yoshiharu, manager of Candle Taku Watanabe-tei, about this event.
Interview with the Organizers
What inspired you to choose Halloween as the theme?
Morita (surname only hereafter)
Kurashiki Afternoon Tea is usually held in summer and winter, so we thought we’d hold the 10th-anniversary event in spring or autumn.
Until now, Kurashiki Afternoon Tea had rules about which fruits to use, but we hadn’t set a particular theme.
We thought it might be fun to tie it in with a seasonal event, so we planned an afternoon tea with a Halloween theme. Autumn has lots of fruit in season, and it’s easy to go out during the sightseeing season, so Halloween seemed like a perfect fit.
We’ve left things fairly open apart from the theme, asking shops to follow two rules: “at least two foods inspired by Halloween” and “any fruit grown in Okayama Prefecture is fine.”
I think people will be able to enjoy a Kurashiki Afternoon Tea unlike any they’ve experienced before.
What are the highlights of Halloween Afternoon Tea?
Morita
I think you’ll enjoy the Halloween-inspired looks, such as realistic finger cookies and an all-black afternoon tea. Every shop has its own personality, so I hope you’ll enjoy choosing where to go, too.
Also, there are lots of items you wouldn’t normally see on the menu, so you may discover an unexpected side to some shops. For example, a hotel with a serious image created an adventurous menu full of playful touches.
Inoue (surname only hereafter)
Some of the shops said, “It’s easier when there’s a theme like Halloween.”
Halloween has lots of motifs, like ghosts and Dracula, so perhaps it’s easier for shops to come up with menu ideas. Each shop was feeling its way along, wondering, “How far should we take the fun?” and “How silly should we get?”
So there are sweets with realistic appearances, too. When I heard “Halloween,” I imagined something cute.
Morita
Of course, there are poppy, cute afternoon teas, but quite a few shops are having fun with it. Some shops even made sweets that look like real eyeballs.
Some shops chose to express Halloween through color alone, and one made an all-black afternoon tea. It was eye-opening to see that kind of idea.
Inoue
I think the black color in the dishes and sweets comes from bamboo charcoal. When all the photos are lined up on the website, an all-black afternoon tea is sure to catch the eye.
Morita
It may be a new challenge for the shops, too. It’s interesting how each shop’s take is completely different, even though they all share the same theme.
Will there be any special perks to mark the 10th anniversary?
Morita
We plan to give a special sticker to customers who come for Halloween Afternoon Tea.
They’ll be available while supplies last, so if you’re interested, I hope you’ll come early.
How do you feel about reaching the 10th anniversary?
Morita
Kurashiki Afternoon Tea began in 2014 and was originally an event organized by the local government. In 2019, the Kurashiki Afternoon Tea Executive Committee took over its operation, and in 2024 it reached its 10th year.
I’ve been involved since it launched in 2014, but I never imagined it would continue for 10 years, so honestly, it doesn’t quite feel real. When a private organization runs an event, it has to secure funding and think of ways to keep people from getting tired of it. There have been many challenges and failures.
But I think we’ve made it this far because the organizing members, including Inoue, have kept trying different things, and because the shops have supported our approach.
This is our first Halloween Afternoon Tea, and I feel some pressure, but I hope that not only our customers, but also we and the shop owners, can enjoy putting it on.
Inoue
Every time we hold Kurashiki Afternoon Tea, the organizers have had many discussions and gone through repeated trial and error. Sometimes we have heated disagreements, but it’s all to make Kurashiki Afternoon Tea better. We’ve had setbacks, but we’ve built up a lot over these 10 years.
I’m also one of the participating shop owners, so I can share the shop’s perspective, while Morita shares the customer’s perspective. I think that gives us a good balance in running the event.
Afternoon Tea has continued for 10 years because of the shops. I hope this Halloween Afternoon Tea will give something back to them, even in a small way.
Do you have a message for our readers?
Morita
This afternoon tea is only available during the Halloween season, so I hope you’ll come and visit, and enjoy the playful spirit that makes it different from the usual Kurashiki Afternoon Tea.
Some shops will offer menus that completely change their usual image, so please enjoy those differences, too.
Inoue
Some shops have said, “We’d like to do this again next year,” so if many people come this time, Halloween Afternoon Tea may become a regular event. We look forward to welcoming you.
From the Writer
I’ve been to Kurashiki Afternoon Tea several times in the past.
I remember how its appearance changes completely with the seasons: in winter, the strawberry-red color gives it a warm feeling, while in summer, the grapes and peaches make for a refreshing-looking afternoon tea.
However, this Halloween Afternoon Tea featured unprecedented colors and unique sweets whose flavors were impossible to guess. The menu is full of items so intriguing that you can’t help wondering, “What on earth is this?”—and they’re fun just to look at.
With its Halloween-inspired playfulness, this promises to be a delicious and fun event, perfect for autumn.
This is the first Kurashiki Halloween Afternoon Tea. If you’d like to experience the arrival of autumn through its flavors, be sure to stop by.
Kurashiki Halloween Afternoon Tea Information
| Name | Kurashiki Halloween Afternoon Tea |
|---|---|
| Dates | Held from Tuesday, October 1, to Monday, November 4, 2024 (national holiday) |
| Admission (tax included) | Varies by venue |
| Website | Kurashiki Afternoon Tea |
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