This summer, CoSTUME NATIONAL renovated the second floor of the CoSTUME NATIONAL Aoyama Complex in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo, to create a new tea room and expand the reception area around it.

The tea room, "Tatsumi-an," is based on the Urasenke style and named after the owner, Kazunari Shirai's father. Its name combines the snake (Mi), which represents the energy of the earth, with the dragon (Tatsu), which ascends to the heavens. Designed by Shinya Okayama, the room is 4.5 tatami mats in size and maintains the basic layout, including the alcove, nijiriguchi (traditional Japanese entrance), and tea ceremony entrance. While some alcove pillars, floor frames, and lighting fixtures have been omitted, the ceiling height is a compact 6 shaku 3 sun (approximately 1.9 meters). "Compared to traditional tea rooms, it feels like a half-sibling," says Okayama.


The interior lacks a single pillar, with only a tea ceremony entrance located on the tea ceremony seat side. A large 1.2-meter-square window was installed on the nijiri-guchi side, and a huge hanging shoji screen was hung there. The shoji screen, designed by Shirai, is inspired by memories of father and son at the Takaragaike resort. Shirai plans to commission designs from various artists in the future.

In keeping with Shirai's deep knowledge of contemporary art, many artworks are on display throughout the building. To coincide with the unveiling of Tatsumi-an, the reception spaces on the third and fourth floors were also specially opened to the public. Works by Robert Mapplethorpe, Hans-Peter Feldmann, Sean Landers, Yayoi Kusama, and others blend with the modern, white-based architecture to create a space that syncs with the brand's worldview.