History
- 1961
- The Suntory Museum of Art opened, as did the Genchō-an.
- 1975
- When the museum moved to Akasaka-Mitsuke, the Genchō-an was rebuilt there.
- 2007
- For the museum’s move to Roppongi, the Genchō-an was moved there and expanded.
The Genchō-an Tearoom is located on the museum’s sixth floor.
It is usually not open to the public but may be used for tea ceremonies with seasonal sweets on designated days during exhibitions.
Gen, , is the third character in the first line of the Senji mon (Thousand-Character Classic), a Chinese poem long used to teach the basic kanji characters. Since it is the third character in the poem, it stands for “three,” san. Chō,
, means “bird” and is also read tori. Combined, the two characters thus can also be interpreted as santori, signifying Suntory. When our museum first opened in the Marunouchi district in 1961, Master Tantansai Sen Soshitsu (1893-1963) , the fourteenth-generation head of the Urasenke school of the tea ceremony, gave the tearoom this name.
The tearoom named Genchō-an was established when Suntory Museum of Art was founded. A small 4.5 mat room (about 7.5 square meters) was brought to our location from Akasaka-Mitsuke, and a 8 mat room (13.2 square meters) and a newly designed chair-style room were added. On the outside terrace is a waiting area, with chairs and a stone washbasin. When the shoji are opened, one can “borrow” the exquisite view of Tokyo Midtown, regaling our patrons with the delight of a truly tranquil spot in the city.
Enjoy matcha green tea and seasonal Japanese sweets in a quiet oasis amid the city.
Dates |
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Entry costs |
¥1,000 in addition to museum admission.
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How to take part * The tea ceremony is conducted in Japanese only. |
‘Otemae’ Tea Ceremony Demonstrations
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Time : | Held at 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 * For the time being, the hours will be changed. The time for each ceremony is fixed. |
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Place : | The 8 mat room or the stone-floored room in the Genchō-an |
Includes : | Formal tea ceremony service of thin green tea and sweets |
Photography is not permitted at the Genchō-an.
Please do not bring children under three years old to the tearoom.
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