Japanese designer Shinichiro Ogata's latest venture is a modern riff on the traditions of his home country

Seaweed, honey, lemongrass, forest, dill, conifer, dashi, soy sauce, orange. These are among a cosmos of flavours and aromas evoked through a new series of Japanese teas for modern life presented in crafted paper cups – one of a string of recent ventures by designer Shinichiro Ogata.

For Ogata, everything begins – and ends – with tea. Since launching Simplicity in Tokyo in 1998, the designer has carved a unique creative path, offering a fresh modern perspective of Japan’s heritage-steeped tea world.

It’s not just about the contents of a teacup. Ogata’s creative vision is mirrored in spaces and objects, rituals and moments – all softly minimalist, crafted, layered in stillness and, aligned with the essence of traditional Japanese culture, deeply inspired by the natural world.

His contemporary tea sanctuaries are centre stage – from the minimalist interiors, natural material palette and season-reflecting tastes of modern tea salon Higashiya Ginza in Tokyo to the elemental serenity of Ogata at The Shinmonzen in Kyoto and his overseas flagship Ogata Paris.

Further layered into Simplicity’s creative output are cleanly crafted Japanese ceramics, modern wagashi sweets, artisan-crafted tools, contemporary incenses, atmospheric restaurants (including intimate Yakumo Saryo in Tokyo) – as well as interiors for retail (including Aesop stores) and luxury hotels (from Four Seasons Osaka and Yoruya in Kurashiki to Andaz Tokyo).

Most recently, Ogata launched a series of crafted tea rooms and shops called Saboe in four spaces across Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakata and Okayama), which aim to present a 'new' way for enjoying tea in the modern world.

Key to this concept is its new T. Collection, ten carefully composed teas designed to harmonise with modern daily life, from sunrise to sunset – ranging from Beni (5), a deep wine-like black tea mixed with grape leaves and red perilla to Ko (8), a refreshing spicy-edged hojicha roasted green tea, with ginger, sansho leaves and citrus peel.

Unusually for the Japanese tea world, the tea is available in teabags and presented in the minimalist white form of biodegradable, portable paper cups – which can conveniently be filled with hot water and enjoyed at home or outside.

Modern incense workshops known as Kaori are another new innovation. Intimate gatherings unravelling the invisible layers of Japan’s culture-rich incense world in the hands of experts (and a chance to make your own incense) will take place in serene spaces including Yakumo Saryo, Higashiya Ginza, Ogata at The Shinmonzen and Ogata Paris.

And a connective thread in all these projects? Simplicity’s signature modern riff on traditional Japan, with an aesthetic imprint that goes far deeper than surface beauty. Here, Ogata sits down with Wallpaper* in a private tea room at Higashiya Ginza – and shares his thoughts on the past and the future, tea in the modern world and the timeless need for harmony between humans and nature.

In conversation with Shinichiro Ogata

Wallpaper*: Why tea?

Shinichiro Ogata: Tea is an old Eastern Asian tradition which used to be seen as a form of medicine. Its history goes back thousands of years, much longer than coffee. It’s very simple – you take leaves from nature, grow it, drink it. It’s not only good for your body, it’s a way of connecting yourself with nature – and enjoying tea also creates connections between humans. These are the fundamental reasons I have chosen tea.

W*: Was there a specific moment that woke you up to the beauty of tea?
SO: There was not one single moment. Being Japanese, I’ve always had nihoncha or sencha with meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner – in everyday life. But there is also sado tea ceremony – the traditional way of enjoying matcha tea. It has deeply shaped the history of Japanese culture in terms of arts and crafts, and elevated Japan’s aesthetics. I had a lot of respect for sado in terms of how it shaped Japanese culture, but for me, it was too complicated. It could only survive in Japan. I realised that if we wanted to share the idea of Japanese tea to the world, it had to be simplified and match contemporary ways of living – not only in Japan but for people all over the world. So I had to look at tea with a modern perspective. I had to create a new way of enjoying tea.

W*: Can you explain more about the layers of sado?
SO: Sado is not just about taste. It’s about the experience. The tools. The environment. But for me, the tea also has to be tasty as well as have a modern style. By bringing this culture of tea to the world – my style of tea to the world – I also hope it helps to preserve the ways of Japanese tea farmers.

W*: How would you describe your style of tea?
SO: It is hard to put into words. It has to be experienced, which is why I opened Ogata Paris. You can also see my style of tea at Saboe. It’s what I have been practicing for over 20 years – but with a more modern interpretation. What we created at our original tea rooms Higashiya is very unique and beautiful. But I wanted to have a contrast between Higashiya style of tea – and create a more modern, casual twist at Saboe. That’s also why we created teabags, a first for us.

W*: Tell me about the teabags.
SO: We wanted to create a tea experience that was more casual and approachable. So we made the T. Collection of ten teas. We wanted to simplify the way of selecting tea as well as enjoying tea. The tea bags are made of decomposable materials, no chemicals.

W*: How do these teas align with wider design work?
SO: In Japan, we have a very old phrase: hare to ke. This is like yin and yang, or traditional and modern – two different ways of thinking, harmonised. We always think about this – not only for tea, but also when we are making wagashi sweets. I always look for the contrast in anything I create..

W*: You now have four Saboe across Japan. Can you share more about the concept?
SO: We wanted to explore how we connect with nature. So at Saboe Tokyo in Azabudai Hills, we used a very natural stone finish. Also, the packaging is decomposable. It’s very close to nature but modern. The packaging is also both teaware you can drink from and the container – so it’s contemporary and sustainable

W*: Tell me more about Japan’s relationship with nature?
SO: In Japan, we don’t worship a person like Jesus Christ – we worship nature. We see nature as our god. This idea of Shintoism leads us to the shrine. This idea is rooted in everything through Japanese culture.

W*: And now in modern times?
SO: Nature has always been the most important thing. It is everything. Nature existed before human beings. But today, humans are trying to take over or control nature which is not leading to very good solutions. Humans can never conquer nature. And in terms of all the beautiful energy and shapes you find in nature, even the greatest designer can never go beyond what nature has created. I have a huge respect for what has been created and given to us by nature.

W*: How is this expressed through your designs?
SO: When I select materials, I always look at nature’s five elements – wood, fire, water, soil, air. That is fundamental to me. Even here, in this space at Higashiya, you can see the wood, the fire, the water. All these elements should be included in spaces. Another factor are local materials – like the idea of terroir in France. We always try to have an authentic local connection. For example, we sourced local materials in Okayama for the new Saboe space. It is by applying the old, that we can find a new perspective.

W*: Tell me more about the Okayama Saboe tea room.
SO: In Okayama, what was so unique was the building, a former soy sauce factory and storehouse about 100-years-old. I wanted to keep the old charm of the building but add a new energy. The main focus was preserving as much as possible and adding furniture in line with the era in which it was built.

W*: Hotels, tea cups, spaces – what are the connective threads in your creative projects?
SO: My vision is to create a certain way of being. I’m trying to preserve Japanese culture and the resources that we have developed. I’m also always asking what Japanese aesthetics are and how they are being delivered to the world. I think everything goes back to a sense of being connected to nature. It’s all tied to my vision of creating a certain way of being.

W*: Way of being - what do you mean by this?
SO: We have to learn how to live in the current world. If you look around, nature has been destroyed, there are terrible conflicts and wars. With these conditions, how do we live and how do we look forward? I feel that our idea – our way of being – rooted in Japanese culture, can play a role. Hundreds of years ago, before all these religions started to grow, there was a time when humans simply coexisted with nature. But it is not enough to just look at how we lived back then – we have to interpret this for our current lives So the question is: how can we coexist with nature in the current era? This is what I am looking for and the way of being that I would like to create.

W*: How do you tie this into your projects?
SO: This way of being can be expressed in environments as a holistic experience. It could be a hotel or a residence but something experiential. It’s not just about designing a space – it’s creating a space to be lived in and experienced. To deliver this message, I am keen to establish an education programme – so it could all come together in a kind of school.

W*: What kind of a school?
SO: It’s not so much about me teaching, it’s about preserving the ideas of my aesthetics. One day I will pass away – but I would like these ideas to continue for another 800 years. That is my goal. I’m really focused on delivering this message to the next generation. We already have staff who could be teachers – tea masters, wagashi makers – who have a lot of knowledge of teaching these aesthetics to the next generation. It will probably be a professional school – but in the future, it could be a school that starts at an earlier age. Through all our creations, I hope that we can help create a sense of fulfilment in your inner soul.

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