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The Genchō-an Tearoom

The Genchō-an Tearoom

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.

Tea Ceremony

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 Name Genchō-an

Gen, character_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, character_cho , 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.

Architecture

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.

Tea Ceremony

Enjoy matcha green tea and seasonal Japanese sweets in a quiet oasis amid the city.

The Genchō-an Tearoom

Dates and Times

Open on designated Thursdays, while exhibitions are being held.

January 2024

There is no tea ceremony this month.
February 2024

1, 15, 29
March 2024

14, 21
April 2024

18
May 2024

2, 16, 30
June 2024

13
July 2024

4, 18
August 2024

1, 15, 29
September 2024

19
October 2024

3, 17, 31
November 2024

7, 28
December 2024

12, 19
January 2025

9, 23
February 2025

20
March 2025

6, 20
April 2025

10
May 2025

1, 15, 29
June 2025

12
July 2025

3, 17, 31
August 2025

14, 21
September 2025

11, 25
October 2025

9, 23, 30
November 2025

27
December 2025

11, 25

Held at 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00
Duration : Approximately 20 minutes

Entry costs

¥1,400 in addition to museum admission.

How to Purchase

Participation requires both an exhibition ticket and a tea ceremony ticket.
Tea ceremony tickets are available as advance tickets online or same-day tickets at the 3rd-floor reception.

Advance Tickets :	For sessions at 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 Sold via the museum's official online ticketing system.
Same-day Tickets :	For the 12:00 session and other time slots with available seats Sold at the 3rd-floor reception starting at 10:00. (Numbered tickets will be distributed from 9:30 on a first-come, first-served basis in case of congestion.)

Advance Tickets Sales

* Ticket sales are limited to two per person.
* Advance tickets are available only online; they are not available at the museum reception.
* The tickets for the 12:00 session are available only on the day, at the reception; they are not available online.
* Except for the 12:00 session, Same-day Tickets are sold only when Advance Tickets have remaining seats.
* Please refer to the ticket sales page for the advance ticket sales period.
* No cancellations or changes can be made after purchase.

Includes

Formal tea ceremony service of thin green tea and sweets

* Language : Japanese only
* Seating : Tatami mats (shoes removed) or chairs

Place :	Suntory Mueum of Art, 6th floor, The Genchō-an Tearoom
Capacity :	6 tatami mat seats and 6 chair seats (maximum 12 people per session / 48 people per day).

* You may choose either tatami mat seating or chair seating when purchasing your tea ceremony ticket, on a first-come, first-served basis.
* Admission is not permitted without a tea ceremony ticket. Each person requires one ticket for entry.
* Please note that you will be sitting on the tatami; please wear shoes that are easy to take on and off. If you are uncomfortable in bare feet, please bring a pair of white socks.

To our guests

Photography is not permitted at the Genchō-an.
Please do not bring children under three years old to the tearoom.

About Suntory Group

As a global leader in the beverage industry, Suntory Group aims to inspire the brilliance of life, by creating rich experiences for people, in harmony with nature. Sustained by the gifts of nature and water, the Group offers a uniquely diverse portfolio of products, from award-winning Japanese whiskies Yamazaki and Hibiki, iconic American whiskies Jim Beam and Maker's Mark, canned ready-to-drink -196 (minus one-nine-six), The Premium Malt's beer, Japanese wine Tomi, and the world-famous Château Lagrange. Its brand collection also includes non-alcoholic favorites Orangina, Lucozade, Oasis, BOSS coffee, Suntory Tennensui water, TEA+ Oolong Tea, and V energy drink, as well as popular health and wellness product Sesamin EX.
Founded as a family-owned business in 1899 in Osaka, Japan, Suntory Group has grown into a global company operating throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania, with an annual revenue (excluding excise taxes) of $20.3 billion in 2024. Its 41,357 employees worldwide draw upon the unique blend of Japanese artisanship and global tastes to explore new product categories and markets.
For more information, visit www.suntory.com and Drink Smart.

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The Genchō-an Tearoom

History

The Name Genchō-an

Architecture

Tea Ceremony

Formal tea ceremony service of thin green tea and sweets

SUNTORY MUSEUM of ART

About Suntory Group

About Suntory Group