Yes. A small sip of sake is shared, and a non-alcoholic option is always available.
01
Where a tea room begins
Before the gathering begins, there is very little in the room.
A suitcase.
A tea box.
A boundary.
A tea room begins with a host, a guest, and tea — and with a line that changes how we enter a space.
When those relationships are in place, a tea room can appear almost anywhere.
You are welcomed with Hojicha.
This traveling tea room has been presented in New York, Paris, Taiwan and China, including at the United Nations Headquarters in 2018.
After a pause of several years, its journey begins again, starting in New York.
Previous Presentations
02
The room is built in front of you
In about ten minutes, a traveling Japanese tea room is assembled by hand in front of the guests.
Its timber frame is joined through Edo SASHIMONO — traditional Japanese joinery — then completed with tatami, sudare bamboo blinds, a low nijiriguchi entrance, and the tokonoma.
Partway through, one guest is invited to set one piece of the frame in place.
For a moment, you become part of its making.
03
Before tea is shared, it is offered
The first tea is not for the guests.
The host carries a single cup before the tokonoma, places it quietly beneath the scroll, and bows.
In Japan, tea has long been served to guests and also offered to kami and Buddhas at shrines and temples.
Here, we do not recreate a formal religious rite. We treat this first cup simply as a gesture of gratitude and respect — before anything is shared among the people in the room.
This is where the name TEA FOR THE GODS begins.
Then a small sip of sake is shared, with a non-alcoholic option for anyone who prefers it.
From here, the performance becomes a gathering.
04
Fine tea, in vessels made by hand
Three teas from Roppongi Tea Factory are served: hon-gyokuro from Uji, Kyoto; single-origin sencha from Shizuoka; and matcha, milled fresh during the gathering.
The sencha is poured into cups by different Japanese ceramic artists. The tea is the same, but the taste changes with the vessel. Lip, weight and warmth all play a part.
Some of these cups are by Living National Treasures of Japan. All of them are meant to be held, not only looked at.
05
What is one promise you wish to make to yourself?
Near the end, the host opens a small box.
Inside is a Kumano Go-o shinpu, brought from Kumano Hongu Taisha, one of the sacred centers of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage.
For centuries, its distinctive crow-script has been connected with vows and promises.
Each guest receives one.
And with it, we make a quiet promise of our own:
that one day, we hope to welcome you to Japan and take you to Kumano — to the place from which this paper came.
Until then, keep it as a small sign of that promise.
And take one question home with you:
What is one promise you wish to make to yourself?
You do not need to say it aloud.
06
The room travels.
When the gathering ends, the tea room is taken apart.
Its pieces return to their cases, ready to stand again somewhere else.
We connect this spirit with Tokowaka — remaining alive by being renewed.
At Ise Jingu, the sacred buildings have been rebuilt every twenty years for about 1,300 years, with periods of interruption across that long history.
The room changes place so that the tradition can continue.
The Kumano Go-o shinpu you carry home came from a landscape where shrines, temples, forests and waterfalls meet along ancient pilgrimage paths.
Kumano has long been associated with yomigaeri — coming back to life.
The room travels on. One day, perhaps, so will you.
07
Your host
Takuya Nojima
For more than ten years, Takuya Nojima has worked with the keepers of Japanese culture: a food house founded in the Edo period, tea growers, ryotei restaurants, and an internationally known gallery. Over the same years, he has worked closely with a tea room architect.
He serves as Executive Advisor to Ippodo Gallery in Tokyo and New York, and to Denshichi-tei, a ryotei set in traditional Japanese architecture in Yokkaichi, Mie.
At each session, he hosts together with one assistant.
08
TEA FOR THE GODS. A Private Preview in New York
Sunday, November 22, 2026
4:00 PM / 6:00 PM
Monday, November 23, 2026
10:00 AM / 2:00 PM / 4:00 PM / 6:00 PM
Approximately 45 minutes
Ippodo Gallery New York
35 N. Moore Street
Tribeca, New York, NY 10013
By private invitation
Frequently asked questions
Are alcoholic and non-alcoholic options both available?
Who is this preview for?
This preview is mainly for industry professionals: hotels, restaurants, private clubs, travel companies and cultural institutions.
If you would like to share the experience with your own guests or clients, please contact us. We will do our best to arrange it.
May I bring a guest or colleague?
Yes. Please let us know when you RSVP, as seating is limited.
Is there a fee to attend?
No. This preview is offered by private invitation and there is no attendance fee.
Is RSVP required?
Yes. Advance RSVP is required for all sessions.
Are these the only available dates?
These are the only preview sessions in New York. Our team will be in New York from November 20 to 24, and we would be glad to meet you at your venue on another day. Please contact us.
What happens during the preview?
The tea room is assembled by hand in about ten minutes. The first tea is offered, then sake and three Japanese teas are shared in cups by Japanese ceramic artists. Each session lasts about 45 minutes.
Can this experience be hosted elsewhere?
Yes. TEA FOR THE GODS is made to travel. We bring the tea room, the teas and the hosts to hotels, private clubs and cultural venues.
Can the experience be customized for a hotel, club, or private host?
Yes. The length, number of guests, teas and setting can be adjusted to your venue and occasion.
Will detailed hosting information be available?
Yes. We will share a Hosting Portfolio with the format, space requirements and timing on request.
Is photography allowed?
Yes, at set moments. During the offering, we ask guests not to take photographs.
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