nana’s green tea TENNOJI MIO
Osaka, Japan / 2018

“The Beauty of Imperfection”

Nanaha Co., Ltd. is a company that sends the “new form of Japan” to the world through “mattcha”. They provide high quality mattcha in menus that are arranged modernly, such as mattacha latte. The space inside the shop is desired to be a “modern tearoom”, not a “Japanese style tea room”. According to the owner, it is a way of expressing their feeling to make a shop that allows the customers to enjoy the traditional Japanese culture with a modern interpretation.

The word “Wabi” is from the verb “Wabu” (To feel discouraged or painful), and the word “Sabi” is born from the word “Sabu” (Become old and the color fades). The root of the word “Wabi” is from “the pain of not being able to achieve one’s wish”, the meaning of “Sabi” is “the situation of  weakening vitality.”

These words with negative emotions developed a quiet, simple, and dull atmosphere in the Japanese poems of Heian period to Kamakura period,  are used as “word to express beauty” in the world of tea. This is a way of capturing the unique perception of the beauty and culture of the Japanese.

On top of that, as the ancestor of “Wabi” tea, Murata Juko left a passage meaning that compared to the shine of the full moon, the moon hidden behind the clouds is more beautiful.

Therefore, Nana’s Green Tea TENNOJI MIO tires to revive the space with the beauty of imperfection created by Juko.

In details, through using OSB plywood and concrete blocks, which are often used as a foundation, as finishing materials, the design reveals the Japanese aesthetics of imperfect and unfinished beauty.

Designed by Masahiro Yoshida and Yoshie Ishii
Photos by Keisuke Miyamoto