EN TEA was launched in 2017 as a brand aiming to create tea leaves for the 21st century.
GEN GEN AN Gen, which was born at the same time, is a project to consider "TEA TIME," the way to enjoy tea leaves in this era, and convey it in a slightly futuristic form.


＜The thoughts behind GEN GEN AN＞
It was about 1,300 years ago that tea leaves first arrived in Japan. Since then, over the course of an unimaginable amount of time, tea has changed in appearance. The climates of various parts of Japan and the aesthetic sense required by each era have changed the nature of tea. Through drinking tea, the people of this country sometimes take nature into their bodies, and sometimes build a view of the universe from within their daily lives. We thought it was important not only to provide new tea leaves, but also to update and propose the experience of drinking tea itself. This is because we believe that tea was not just a drink (thing) to the people of this country.

In this country, there is a concept called "Ma" that is difficult to translate. Human activities divide the ceaseless flow of time into "hours" for convenience. However, the people of this country have always valued "Ma," which is not divided into "hours" - or rather, which resets divided time for just a moment. In this time, "tea" has played a very important role.

For us, revisiting the "tea" of this country, which is now attracting attention from around the world, means confronting this concept of "ma."

Nowadays, the concepts of nation and race are slowly melting away in people's minds, and borders are becoming more and more blurred. That is why we want to take on the challenge of spreading the word about "chaji," which is both old and new, born from free imagination while retaining its essence. We believe that this will help us share with the future and people all over the world what "tea" has built up and brought to this country throughout its long history.

-GEN GEN AN Illusion in Shibuya-
In 2017, GEN GEN AN opened its first project in Shibuya with the aim of allowing people to experience the richness of life through the enjoyment of tea.
In October 2021, the restaurant was renovated into a store that sells tea leaves and tools for a rich and satisfying time. Under the supervision of designer Osamu Saruyama, the space has been updated to combine the essence of both the Shibuya and Ginza stores.

In addition to "tea," the store has added a new theme of "fragrance." Rather than selecting simple or inexpensive products, including the merchandise and supplies on offer, the store has carefully selected items that embody the concepts of "continuous use" and "respect for nature."

-New GEN GEN AN Illusion in Hasami-
Closed on May 31, 2022
The shop will be open for a limited time at OUCHI, a multi-purpose space attached to HIROPPA, run by Maruhiro, a Hasami ware ceramics brand that has been cultivating a close relationship with GEN GEN AN Gen Shibuya store since its opening in 2017.

"Tea and Sound," "Tea and the Universe," and "Tea and Crafts," which aims to propose new possibilities for Japanese tea that are fused with the land of Hasami. Based on these worldviews, we will cherish the ideals of "harmony" and "peace" in the current era of 2021 and update it to provide a comfortable space for everyone, regardless of age or gender.

Photo by Kenta Hasegawa

-GEN GEN AN Illusion in Ginza-
Closed on September 30, 2021
The store will be a limited-time store until September 2021 at GINZA SONY PARK, and we worked with architect Nobuo Araki to create a store that reflects the atmosphere of the location, just like the Shibuya store.

With the main theme of "sweets and tea," the tomette project was launched by chef Sota Atsumi, who is based in France, and is based at the Paris restaurant MAISON. The MAISON team developed sweets that go well with tea as a starting point for the project. In addition, customers can experience how to enjoy tea leaf extraction in their daily lives.