Jo-an: One of Japan's Three National Treasure Teahouses

Hidden within the tranquil Uraku-en Garden at the foot of Inuyama Castle in Aichi Prefecture, Jo-an is one of only three teahouses in all of Japan designated as a National Treasure. Built in 1618 by Oda Uraku (also known as Oda Urakusai)—a younger brother of the legendary warlord Oda Nobunaga and one of the foremost tea masters of his era—this intimate tea room stands as a sublime expression of the art and philosophy of the Japanese tea ceremony.

Together with Tai-an at Myōki-an Temple in Kyoto (attributed to Sen no Rikyū) and Mittan at Ryōkō-in within Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto, Jo-an forms the revered trio known as the "Three National Treasure Tea Seats." Of these three, Jo-an is the most accessible to the public, making it an extraordinary opportunity for visitors to encounter a masterpiece of tea architecture that has survived over four centuries.

Oda Uraku: The Warrior Who Became a Tea Master

Oda Uraku (1547–1621) was the eleventh son of Oda Nobuhide and the younger brother of Oda Nobunaga, arguably the most powerful warlord of Japan's Sengoku (Warring States) period. While Nobunaga sought to unify Japan by the sword, Uraku navigated the turbulent politics of his age with a different sensibility—one that ultimately led him to the way of tea.

Uraku studied the tea ceremony under Sen no Rikyū himself and is counted among the "Rikyū Jittetsu" (Ten Disciples of Rikyū), the master's most distinguished students. He served under Nobunaga, then Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and later Tokugawa Ieyasu, surviving the Honnō-ji Incident, the Battle of Sekigahara, and the Siege of Osaka. After the turmoil of the Osaka campaigns, Uraku retired from political life in 1615, withdrawing to the grounds of Kennin-ji Temple in Kyoto to devote himself entirely to the practice of tea. It was there, in 1618, that he built Jo-an as his personal tea room within the sub-temple Shōden-in. He also founded his own school of tea, the Uraku-ryū, leaving a lasting mark on the development of Japanese tea culture.

The name "Jo-an" is believed to derive from Uraku's Christian baptismal name "João"—a fascinating detail that reflects the intercultural currents of early 17th-century Japan, when Christianity had gained a following among both commoners and the ruling class.

Why Jo-an Is Designated a National Treasure

Jo-an was first designated as a National Treasure (then termed "Important Art Object") in 1936 and received its current National Treasure designation in 1951 under the Cultural Properties Protection Act. The adjacent Shōden-in Study was designated as an Important Cultural Property in 1944 (later re-designated as a National Treasure-level Important Cultural Property). The significance of Jo-an rests on several remarkable qualities.

First, Jo-an is an exceptionally rare surviving example of an early Edo-period tea room built by a historically documented tea master of the highest caliber. While many tea rooms from this era have been lost to fire, war, or neglect, Jo-an has been carefully preserved through multiple relocations over the centuries.

Second, the tea room represents a distinctive approach to tea architecture that differs markedly from the austere "wabi" style of Rikyū. Uraku, though a devoted disciple of Rikyū, developed his own aesthetic vocabulary—one that embraced a refined elegance while retaining the spiritual depth of the tea ceremony. His ingenious spatial innovations, including the diagonal wall, the unique window design, and the use of old calendar paper as wall covering, represent creative solutions that advanced the art of tea room design.

Third, Jo-an holds extraordinary architectural value as an intact example of the "nijōhan-daime" (two-and-a-half mat plus daime mat) floor plan, demonstrating how a master could create a sense of spaciousness and functional grace within an extraordinarily compact space.

Architectural Masterwork: Design Features of Jo-an

Jo-an's exterior presents a dignified yet restrained appearance: a single-story structure with an elegant irimoya (hip-and-gable) roof covered in kokera-buki (thin wooden shingles). The warm, earth-toned clay walls convey the organic simplicity central to tea aesthetics. Yet behind this modest facade lies a wealth of ingenious design.

The interior consists of a tea room measuring two-and-a-half mats plus a daime mat (a slightly shorter tatami used for the host's preparation area), along with a three-mat mizuya (water preparation room). Every element is placed with extraordinary intentionality.

A Journey Through Time: Jo-an's Remarkable Odyssey

Few buildings in Japan have traveled as far as Jo-an. Originally constructed in 1618 within the grounds of Kennin-ji Temple's sub-temple Shōden-in in Kyoto, the tea room began its wanderings in the Meiji era when the temple was forced to relocate.

In 1873, Shōden-in's land was requisitioned by the Kyoto prefectural government. Jo-an was sold to a group of local Gion-district patrons who preserved it as the "Yūraku-kan" (Uraku Hall) and opened it to the public. When maintenance costs became unsustainable, Jo-an was purchased in 1908 by the Mitsui family—one of Japan's most powerful industrial dynasties and ardent patrons of the tea ceremony—and relocated to their main residence in Tokyo.

In the 1930s, as militarism and the threat of air raids loomed over Tokyo, the head of the Mitsui family, Mitsui Takamine, made the prescient decision to move Jo-an to the family's seaside villa in Ōiso, Kanagawa Prefecture. This foresight proved crucial: the Mitsui Tokyo residence was destroyed in the air raids of 1945, but Jo-an survived unharmed in Ōiso.

Finally, in 1972, Meitetsu (Nagoya Railroad) acquired Jo-an and relocated it to its current home in Inuyama, beside Inuyama Castle. The Uraku-en Garden was constructed under the supervision of noted architect Horiguchi Sutemi, recreating as faithfully as possible the garden environment that had surrounded Jo-an during its Kyoto years. In a poetic turn, Jo-an had returned to Owari Province—the homeland of its creator, Oda Uraku.

Uraku-en Garden: A Sanctuary of Tea Culture

Jo-an is set within the Uraku-en Garden, a meticulously designed Japanese landscape garden that embodies the aesthetic principles of the tea ceremony. Moss-covered paths wind through bamboo groves, past stone lanterns and carefully placed rocks, creating an atmosphere of profound serenity.

In addition to Jo-an, the garden houses several other notable structures. The Former Shōden-in Study (Kyū Shōden-in Shoin), designated as an Important Cultural Property, was Uraku's personal residence during his retirement at Kennin-ji. Its interior preserves precious fusuma (sliding door) paintings by master artists Hasegawa Tōhaku and Kanō Sansetsu, though these are only displayed on special occasions. Gen-an is a faithful reconstruction of another tea room that Uraku built at his Osaka-Tenma residence, recreated from historical drawings. Kō-an, built in 1986, is a working tea room where visitors can participate in tea ceremonies amid the garden's beauty.

At Kō-an, visitors can enjoy a bowl of matcha green tea served in locally made Inuyama-yaki ceramics, accompanied by "Urakufū," an exclusive Japanese confection available only at Uraku-en. Before entering, listen carefully at the stone water basin (tsukubai)—it conceals a suikinkutsu, an underground resonating chamber that transforms the sound of falling water droplets into ethereal, bell-like tones.

Visiting Jo-an: Practical Information

Uraku-en Garden is open from 9:30 to 17:00 (last entry at 16:30). The garden is closed on Wednesdays (or the following day if Wednesday is a national holiday), during year-end and New Year holidays (December 29–January 1), and on occasional maintenance days. The tea service at Kō-an is available from 10:00 to 16:30 (last order at 16:00).

Jo-an can typically be viewed from the exterior through the garden path. Interior viewings are offered approximately once a month through special guided tours (advance reservation required). These rare opportunities to step inside one of Japan's three National Treasure teahouses are highly recommended for anyone with a deep interest in tea culture or Japanese architecture.

A combined ticket for Uraku-en Garden and Inuyama Castle is available, allowing visitors to experience two National Treasures—one of war and one of peace, built in the same era by two brothers from the same family—in a single visit. This remarkable juxtaposition captures the essence of Japanese culture's duality: martial strength and artistic refinement, existing side by side.

Nearby Attractions

Uraku-en is situated immediately east of Inuyama Castle, itself a National Treasure and one of Japan's twelve surviving original castle keeps. The Inuyama Castle Town, stretching south from the castle, preserves Edo-period street layouts with traditional shops, cafés, and local delicacies including gohei-mochi and dengaku. Sanko Inari Shrine at the castle's base is known for its picturesque rows of vermilion torii gates and heart-shaped votive tablets.

Hotel Indigo Inuyama Uraku-en, located adjacent to the garden, offers luxury accommodation with complimentary garden access for hotel guests. The broader Inuyama area also features Museum Meiji-mura, Little World outdoor ethnography museum, and the Japan Monkey Centre. Inuyama Onsen hot springs along the Kiso River provide a relaxing end to a day of cultural exploration.