Art Space Fukujuen held an Art & Education event at OCA TOKYO in Otemachi, Tokyo, entitled “Beautiful Things Endure Beyond Their Time — Rings of Time, Layers of Beauty -A Cup of Tea and the Memory of Craft-.”

Centering on a bowl of tea and the handcrafts that have been passed down through generations, the event explored the “memories” held within each object and gesture, inviting guests to reflect on the essence of beauty that continues to move people across time. It took the form of an intimate tea-and-talk gathering.

Guests were welcomed with a Gyokuro Tonic made with Heian-kyo Gyokuro, an exclusive tea available at Fukujuen Kyoto Main Store and created by Fukujuen Kyoto Main Store and Maison de Matsuda Fukujuen. The refreshing new expression of gyokuro marked the beginning of a special evening.

This was followed by a ryurei-style tea presentation by Junko Kakizaki. The setting incorporated works by wooden bucket craftsman Shuji Nakagawa, creating a serene and refined space in which the worlds of tea and craft resonated with one another.

At the heart of the event was a special conversation between Shuji Nakagawa, a master wooden bucket craftsman, and Mineaki Saito, former Executive Vice President of Hermès International in Paris.

Under the theme “Beautiful things endure beyond their time,” the two speakers reflected on the philosophy embedded in craftsmanship, the meaning of passing skills and values from one generation to the next, and the beauty that emerges through the accumulation of time, drawing on their own journeys and experiences.

Beauty, they suggested, is found not only in visible form, but also in the attitude with which one engages with materials, in the hands that preserve and transmit techniques, and in the passage of time itself.

Through tea and handcraft, guests were invited to encounter memories of beauty carried from the past into the present and onward into the future. A shared bowl of tea became a quiet moment in which beautiful things could be connected across generations.

At the reception that followed, guests enjoyed Heian-kyo Sencha served cold-brewed, together with warm Heian-kyo Hojicha and Japanese Black Tea. As they savored each tea, participants exchanged words and shared reflections, allowing the experience to unfold into a warm and thoughtful gathering.

Through this event, we hope guests had an opportunity to rediscover the beauty that deepens with time, as well as the quiet richness that can be found in sharing a bowl of tea.