[Architecture] Fly! Tea House (Terunobu Fujimori)
Suwa Taisha, Jinchokan Moriya Historical Museum, continuing the journey around the area.
Behind the Moriya family residence, who served for generations as the chief priests of the Upper Suwa Taisha Shrine, lies a peaceful expanse of fields.
Scattered throughout the fields are strange buildings, much like the historical museum. Or perhaps 'huts' is a more fitting description. One look at their exterior is enough for even those unfamiliar with architecture to recognize that the designer is the same Terunobu Fujimori who designed the museum.
Yes, this collection of buildings is the quintessence of the unconventional and free-spirited Fujimori world: the Fujimori tea houses that fly through the sky and crawl along the ground.
This time, I was able to enter the interiors, so let's take a look at them one by one.
Takasugi-an (2004)
This is a tea house that Fujimori built with friends, students, and craftsmen. He had designed a tea house for former Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa, but after seeing the completed structure, he wanted one for himself and decided to build it. The tea house, perched six meters above the ground, feels like a secret base, making even adults feel like children again with excitement.
The tea house is fixed as if it were pierced by two chestnut trees brought from the mountains.
Although real trees are used, they wouldn't be stable enough on their own, so the base is reinforced with concrete.
The bark of the trunks was also peeled off and then reattached with nails.
In a typical tea house, stepping stones are placed in the garden, and visitors walk across them to enter. This serves to separate the tea house from the outside world, brushing away the dust of the mundane world and helping one forget worldly concerns, but...
At Takasugi-an, a ladder plays that role. The ladder is also handmade by Fujimori.
The wide-open entrance, or what is known as a 'nijiriguchi' (crawling-in entrance) in tea house terminology, heightens the anticipation.
One of the ladder's side rails extends upward, making it easy to grab onto and enter or exit.
Wow! It's surprisingly spacious inside!
The area is about 6 square meters. Seven people were inside at this time, but it didn't feel cramped at all.
It sways a little every time someone enters or leaves, but it's not scary enough to be frightening. However, people with a fear of heights would likely find it difficult to enter this tea house in the first place. After all, 6 meters is quite high.
The gold-colored part of the ceiling is a chimney that also serves as a skylight.
There is also a hearth for boiling water. Visible on the left is the chestnut wood used to secure the tea house.
What's wonderful is this view of the Yatsugatake Mountains. It's so comfortable that you'll want to stay here forever.
There was also a small shrine beneath Takasugi-an. Part of the thatch has been replaced, and it is said that Mr. Fujimori replaced it himself.
Flying Mud Boat (2010)
A tea house suspended about 3 meters above the ground by four wires. It was built by citizens and craftsmen who participated in a workshop hosted by the Chino City Museum of Art. It was originally located in the plaza in front of the museum, but was later moved to its current location.
There is a theory that it is modeled after the AT-AT walkers that appear in "Star Wars." Now that you mention it, does it look a bit like one...?
Of course, the material is not mud. The structure is wooden, and the lower part is finished with a layer of soil. The roof is covered with copper plates, and it must have been a shiny copper color when it was first built. It has oxidized to black now, but I feel this blends in better with the surrounding landscape.
You also enter this one by climbing a ladder. At about 3 meters high, it is a little lower than Takasugi-an.
The ceiling is like the bottom of a boat. The table and benches are fixed, and it was so cramped that once the seven-person capacity was reached, you couldn't even move.
As the exterior appearance suggests, the floor area is sloped in an arc, so be careful when moving around. If you let your guard down, you might slip and end up crawling under the table.
There is also a hearth and a flower vase (hanging on the left wall).
There are flip-up windows on the left and right. The breeze blows through, and it is very pleasant.
You can also get a panoramic view of the town of Chino from the windows of this tea house.
Well, it's time to head down.
And if there is a "high" tea house, there is also a "low" tea house.
Its name is...
Teikuan (2017)
Teikuan was also created through a citizen-participation workshop organized by Chino City.
Although only the roof is visible, it is a pit-style tea house dug into the slope. The roof is covered in copper plates, which also shone with a copper color when it was first built.
When viewed from below on the opposite side, it also looks like an old work shed.
The wall finish is charred cedar. However, there are parts where it is not covered. Why?
This tea house has no windows. In the photo, light is entering through the open door, making it dim, but it becomes pitch black when closed. On the right side, you can see a hearth built into the wall. You can enjoy tea quietly by the faint light of that hearth, but...
You can also enjoy tea under the blue sky while staying inside the room.
The roof actually slides open, and the ceiling of the tea house disappears!
Wheels are attached to the roof, making it possible to open and close it with the strength of one person. This is because Mr. Fujimori sometimes spends time there alone or entertains guests.
Inside, the wooden walls are painted with horizontal stripes of plaster, and the uneven widths are also quite nice.
By the way, the entrance to Takasugi-an is from the roof.
Go-an (2022)
A new tea house was built in 2022 on the grounds a little away from the historical museum.
It was reconstructed on this site by Mr. Fujimori himself, using salvaged materials from "Go-an," a tea house designed by him that was exhibited at the "Pavilion Tokyo 2021" event held in Tokyo in 2021.
The exterior wall finish is charred cedar. The protruding part is a storage box for the rain shutters.
While it was built on a grass-covered podium at Pavilion Tokyo, here it is built on top of a rock. Like the Takasugi-an and the Flying Mud Boat, it feels a bit unstable, but that effect is likely intentional.
To enter, you still use a ladder, but unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to go inside this time.
By the way, the tea houses in this area were built in 2004 for Takasugi-an, 2010 for the Flying Mud Boat, 2017 for Hikusugi-an, and 2022 for Go-an. Did you notice? They were built at six-year intervals, and in the same years as the Onbashira Festival. (Technically, the Onbashira Festival before last was in 2016, not 2017.)
Does this mean a new tea house will be built in 2028?
These four Fujimori tea houses are all privately owned by Mr. Fujimori. He uses them when friends or acquaintances visit, or sometimes spends time there alone. It is said that Mr. Fujimori still repairs and makes adjustments to them from time to time.
Therefore, while the exterior can be viewed freely, there have been almost no opportunities to see the interior until now. However, there is currently an activity on the tourism site 'Chino Tabi' where you can fully enjoy the Fujimori tea houses. (As of November 2023)
If you are interested, why not participate while visiting Suwa Taisha Shrine?
As an aside, on the day I participated in the tour, I saw Mr. Fujimori and the model Hana. It seems they were there for an interview for a monthly magazine series. I will definitely read it once it is published.
