Tea brake for two? New Japanese Zen-mobile comes with tea ceremony room in the boot

Danielle Demetriou
·3 min read
Kiwakoto, a shop specializing in car interiors in Kyoto's Nakagyo Ward, refurbished a Jimny lightweight passenger car to create a traditional Japanese tea room - ASANO Takeshi 
Kiwakoto, a shop specializing in car interiors in Kyoto's Nakagyo Ward, refurbished a Jimny lightweight passenger car to create a traditional Japanese tea room - ASANO Takeshi

A Japanese company has created a car with an unexpected surprise in the boot: a small but perfectly crafted tea ceremony room.

The new tea ceremony car contains a raft of authentic details by Kyoto artisans, from tatami mat floor and sliding paper screens to a special alcove for displaying seasonal flower arrangements.

Kiwakoto, a Kyoto-based company specialising in bespoke crafted car interiors, was behind the creation of the tea ceremony vehicle, which was made in collaboration with six specialist artisans.

The immaculately designed room includes a traditional sliding paper screen known as shoji to separate the tea space from the rest of the car - ASANO Takeshi 
The immaculately designed room includes a traditional sliding paper screen known as shoji to separate the tea space from the rest of the car - ASANO Takeshi

The compact space, which took nearly a year to handcraft, measures around one meter wide, 75cm deep and 80cm high – with its diminutive proportions designed to echo the symbolism of humility that goes hand in hand with entering small Japanese tea rooms.

“Every single detail and material was made by hand in Kyoto,” Masaru Yoshimura, director of Kiwakoto, told the Telegraph. “Tea rooms are normally quite small and tiny, so the concept here is exactly the same.”

The customised Jimny model car, which taps into a picnic-style type of tea ceremony known as nodate, aims to highlight how tea ceremony-on-wheels can be enjoyed in any location.

Boris Johnson at a tea ceremony in 2015, while he was Mayor of London, with his Tokyo counterpart Governor Yoichi Masuzoe - Andrew Parsons / i-Images 
Boris Johnson at a tea ceremony in 2015, while he was Mayor of London, with his Tokyo counterpart Governor Yoichi Masuzoe - Andrew Parsons / i-Images

Japanese tea ceremony, known as sado or chado, is a centuries-old practice deeply influenced by Zen Buddhism, revolving around the ritual of a host preparing powdered green matcha tea for guests, evoking a sense of well-being and harmony in the process.

Textiles made by artisans from Kyoto’s Nishijin district, long famed for its kimono craftsmanship, line the ceiling, a sliding paper screen known as shoji separates the tea space from the rest of the car and a wooden alcove known as a tokonoma for a traditional flower arrangement.

The tea room uses Japanese sugi cedarwood from forests in northern Kyoto - ASANO Takeshi 
The tea room uses Japanese sugi cedarwood from forests in northern Kyoto - ASANO Takeshi

“We used Japanese sugi cedarwood from forests in northern Kyoto,” he said. “We were extremely particular about using the finest materials – the wood had to show a beautiful, consistent natural grain.”

The company came up with the idea for renowned Japanese writer Kundo Koyama last year, after he mentioned on a TV programme that he would like to try out a tea ceremony car in a new model Jimny vehicle.

The new car, which is on display in the company’s showroom in Kyoto until May 23, will be used by Koyama and Kiwakoto to highlight both Japan’s tea ceremony culture as well as Kyoto’s dwindling craftsmanship heritage.

Referring to the tea ceremony element of the car, Mr Yoshimura added: “Old cultural customs are disappearing in Japan. Craftsmanship is one of them. At Kiwakoto, we specialise in using techniques that can be passed on to future generations. So we share the same objectives.”