The Taste of Tea
“We were all watching the sunset, at the edge of the universe.”
A spell of time in the life of the five-piece Haruno family in rural Tochigi Prefecture. Yoshiko is not an ordinary housewife, instead working on an animated film project. Uncle Ayano, a successful music producer, is looking to get his head together after living in Tokyo. Meanwhile, Sachiko is concerned with why she seems to be followed by a giant version of herself. As the lazy days pass by, each member of the family is followed in a series of episodic vignettes.
Where to watch The Taste of Tea in United States
No streaming info for your region.
Click a service to open The Taste of Tea there. Availability last verified on June 21, 2026.
Where is The Taste of Tea streaming around the world?
| Country | Streaming on | Rent / Buy |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Arrow Video Amazon Channel | Apple TV Store, Amazon Video |
| Germany | — | LaCinetek |
| France | — | LaCinetek |
| Brazil | Filmicca | — |
| Japan | U-NEXT, Asia Premium Amazon Channel | Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies |
| South Korea | Watcha, TVING | wavve, Google Play Movies |
About The Taste of Tea
The Taste of Tea is a 2004 Japanese-language comedy, drama and fantasy film directed by Katsuhito Ishii. The cast is led by Maya Suzuno, Takahiro Sato, Tadanobu Asano. It has a runtime of 2h 23m. Viewers rate it 7.5/10 across 200 ratings.
The Taste of Tea was produced by AOI Pro., Rentrak Japan, and THE KLOCKWORX and made in Japan. It was released on July 17, 2004.
- Director
- Katsuhito Ishii
- Writers
- Katsuhito Ishii
- Release date
- July 17, 2004
- Original language
- Japanese
- Status
- Released
- Country
- Japan
- Production
- AOI Pro., Rentrak Japan, THE KLOCKWORX
The Taste of Tea cast & crew
The Taste of Tea was directed by Katsuhito Ishii and written by Katsuhito Ishii.
The cast features Maya Suzuno as Sachiko Haruno, Takahiro Sato as Hajime Haruno, Tadanobu Asano as Ayano Haruno, Satomi Tezuka as Yoshiko Haruno, Tatsuya Gashûin as Akira Todoroki, and Tomokazu Miura as Nobuo Haruno.
Behind the camera, the score was composed by Tempo Little, cinematography is by Kosuke Matsushima, and it was produced by Kazuto Takida and Kazutoshi Wadakura.
Is The Taste of Tea worth watching?
The Taste of Tea holds an audience score of 7.5/10 from 168 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed comedy films.
At 2h 23m, it's a standard feature-length watch.
If you enjoy comedy, drama, and fantasy, The Taste of Tea is worth a place on your watchlist.
How and where to watch The Taste of Tea
The Taste of Tea isn't currently available on major streaming services in United States. We track availability continuously — add it to your watchlist and we'll keep an eye out.
Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.
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Cast of The Taste of Tea
Maya Suzuno
Sachiko Haruno
Takahiro Sato
Hajime Haruno
Tadanobu Asano
Ayano Haruno
Satomi Tezuka
Yoshiko Haruno
Tatsuya Gashûin
Akira Todoroki
Tomokazu Miura
Nobuo Haruno
Anna Tsuchiya
Aoi Suzuishi
Tomoko Nakajima
Akira Terako
Ikki Todoroki
Self
Kirin Kiki
Obaa
Kaiji Moriyama
Dancer
Ryo Kase
Rokutaro Hamadayama
The Taste of Tea — FAQs
▸Where can I watch The Taste of Tea in United States?
The Taste of Tea is not currently available on major streaming services in United States. Availability changes often — check back soon.
▸What language is The Taste of Tea in?
The Taste of Tea is originally in Japanese. Subtitle and dub options vary by streaming service.
▸How long is The Taste of Tea?
The Taste of Tea runs 2 hours 23 minutes (143 minutes).
▸What is The Taste of Tea rated?
It holds a 7.5/10 audience score from 168 ratings.
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