Strange Tea House In Japan

This is Takasugi-an, a tea house in Chino, Nagano Prefecture, Japan made by Terunobu Fujimori. The tea house is built atop two chestnut trees, cut from a nearby mountain and transported to the site, and is accessible only by free-standing ladders propped against one of the trees.


Following the tradition of tea masters, who maintained total control over the construction of their tea houses, Fujimori designed and built the structure for his own use.


The name Takasugi-an means, “a tea house [built] too high.” The room displays a large window that frames the perfect bird’s eyes’ view of the town where Fujimori grew up.


It effectively replaces kakejiku (a picture scroll) that would indicate clues appropriate to the time of the year in traditional teahouses.This kakejiku not only displays the cyclical seasonal changes but also the profound irreversible changes taking place in provincial towns like Chino.