Yamahira Atsushi
Yamahira Masako
On a crisp January morning, I visited a high-rise apartment in the heart of Tokyo. Through the window, the towering Tokyo Tower stood tall, while inside, a softly lit tea room exuded a serene atmosphere.
As preparations were underway, Joi explained the tea room’s design. Created by architect Rei Mitsui, the space was envisioned as a “mountain within the city” inside a high-rise building. A natural kobushi magnolia log, with its bark intact, stretched up to the double-height open ceiling, evoking the image of a mountain grove.
Supported by four sturdy logs, the floor appears to float gently, aiming to recreate the essence of early tea rooms—a simple yet intimate enclosure. Instead of using stone foundations, which might seem abrupt against the wooden flooring, ceramic foundation stones were custom-made by Masahiko Ando, a ceramic artist from Mino.
Today, the tea room was used as a single open space. However, its flexible design allows for transformation: a shoji (paper sliding screen) can separate the one-tatami-mat area in the daime style from the two-mat wooden flooring, creating a smaller tea room and a waiting area. The waiting area was elegantly decorated with willow branches, adding a seasonal touch.
The tokonoma (an alcove used for displaying art or flowers in a tea room) has an adjustable wall. Removing the lower panel transforms the space into a sunken seating area, creating an instant workspace. Hidden power outlets allow for seamless integration of modern technology.
Shoji and fusuma (opaque sliding doors) function not only as partitions but also as elements that shape the room’s light and ambiance. The shoji screens were arranged in a slightly staggered pattern—an approach rarely seen in the Urasenke tea school, to which Joi belongs — a deliberate design choice that enhances the room’s ambiance.
Despite its compact size, the tea room embodies infinite possibilities, encapsulating the essence of traditional Japanese living and the evolving architectural principles that support it.
More than just a tea space, this room also doubles as a playful retreat for kids as well as adults. The storage alcove features bouldering holds, allowing visitors to climb the hinoki pillars up to the tea room's roof. Covered with tatami, the rooftop provides yet another space to relax. A climbing net above the wooden veranda adds to the adventure, offering access to the ceiling beams.
Above, a cozy hideout-like rooftop space awaits. What kind of view might one enjoy from up there?
The tea room is constantly evolving, as refinements continue to be made.
Stepping onto the terrace revealed a beautifully crafted roji, seamlessly blending tradition with modern aesthetics. The contrast between the strikingly close Tokyo Tower and the tsukubai (a stone water basin for hand purification) made from the inverted top of a Hokyoin-to stone pagoda from the Kamakura period was remarkable.
Guests purify their hands at this tsukubai before entering the tea room through the wooden veranda.
Continued in Part 2.
