Image Resources : Ceremonial Teahouse

Ceremonial Teahouse

Philadelphia Museum of Art

This building was designed and built around 1917 by a famous Japanese architect and tea master named Ōgi Rodō (oh-ghi ro-doe) on the grounds of his home in Tokyo. He combined natural materials with parts of an older building, such as the wooden signboard with Japanese writing that reads Sunkaraku (sun-kah-rah-ku). “Sun” means momentary, “ka” means free time, and “raku” means enjoyment. Together they can be translated as “fleeting joys.”