For $180 I'd rather get the train to Takamatsu and have tea in one of the gorgeous tea houses in Ritsurin Garden.

28 minutes and 230yen from Kyoto station is Uji city. You can combine a visit to this place:
http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/...lture/taihoan/
with a visit to the exquisite Byodoin temple.
Photo of tea house here: http://www.kyoto-uji-kankou.or.jp/ot...ot/cha/cha.htm
Cost is 500yen and 'experience' takes 30 minutes.

My own suggestion is that you approach somewhere like
http://www.kajiasostudio.com/webroot/tea.cfm in Boston
Or, failing that, the Japanese Association of Greater Boston
http://www.jagb.org/
for events in which the tea ceremony is explained. That way you can just concentrate on enjoying the tea of your choice somewhere beautiful in Japan

(Warning: Many people don't actually much like the frothy bitter macha prepared at these ceremonies and often prefer sencha or gyokuro green tea instead - be aware you might be one of them)

Although I've drunk many kinds of tea in Japan in all kinds of places, I received my expert introduction to the tea ceremony in a small tea house within London's British Museum.