Established in 1948, Shiba Park Hotel (operated by Shiba Park Hotel Co., Ltd.; Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Noriyoshi Tanaka) embraces the concept of “A library hotel that connects people, towns, and history,” offering guests enriching stays through encounters with books and Japanese culture. As part of its “Sustainable Japanese Traditional Cultural Experiences,” the hotel offers kintsugi and a Table Tea Ceremony exclusively for in-house guests.
Kintsugi
Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese restoration technique believed to have originated around the 15th century. At the time, tea bowls and other utensils used in the tea ceremony were extremely expensive and precious, fostering a culture of repairing broken items and continuing to use them.
Cracked, chipped, or broken vessels are joined using natural lacquer, and the repaired areas are finished with decorative materials such as gold. Rather than concealing the damage, kintsugi deliberately highlights it with gold, giving the vessel a different appearance and allowing it to be reborn with a new kind of beauty.
Kintsugi reflects a uniquely Japanese aesthetic in which failures and imperfections are regarded as meaningful experiences that can lead to something new and create new value.
In a modern world where disposable goods have become increasingly commonplace, kintsugi reminds us of the importance of caring for an item and cherishing it for many years. By accepting scratches and chips as part of the history of a vessel and continuing to use it, kintsugi represents a sustainable approach that encourages greater appreciation for the things we own.
Traditional kintsugi using natural lacquer involves repeated processes such as drying and polishing and normally takes approximately two to three months to complete. At Shiba Park Hotel, guests can experience the cultural background and craftsmanship of this traditional technique in approximately one hour through a simplified kintsugi workshop that does not use natural lacquer.
Guests can observe the condition of a vessel, refine the repaired areas, and finish them in gold, experiencing the process as traces of damage are transformed into a new form of beauty.
Lessons are also available in English, allowing international guests to learn not only about the technique itself but also about the Japanese aesthetic philosophy behind it in an easy-to-understand way.
Date: Available upon request Hours: 10:00 a.m. / 4:00 p.m. Approximately 60 minutes
Admission: JPY 8,000 for 1 guest JPY 12,000 for 2 guests JPY 17,000 for 3 guests JPY 22,000 for 4 guests
Experience Form: Completely private Number of Participants: Up to 4 guests Age Limit: Ages 7 and up
Table Tea Ceremony
The Table Tea Ceremony is a complimentary program open to all in-house guests. In the lobby, surrounded by approximately 2,000 books and traditional crafts, guests can enjoy matcha and Japanese sweets while watching a tea ceremony performance in a contemporary table-style setting.
This approachable matcha ceremony engages the senses: guests can listen closely to the sound of tea being prepared, take in the aroma and vivid color of the matcha, feel the texture of the tea bowl, and savor its flavor.
Within this quiet moment lives the spirit of ichigo ichie—the idea of treasuring each encounter as a once-in-a-lifetime experience—as well as the Japanese tradition of putting one’s heart into preparing a bowl of tea with consideration for the person receiving it.
While a traditional tea ceremony is generally performed while seated in seiza on tatami mats, Shiba Park Hotel offers the experience in a table-style format. Without the need to follow complicated formalities, guests of all ages, from young children to adults, can participate comfortably.
For international guests experiencing a tea ceremony for the first time, the hotel carefully explains the meaning behind the various movements and the spirit of the tea ceremony, allowing guests to experience both its depth and its soothing tranquility.
Date: Every Thursday and the first and third Sundays of each month Not available on: October 1 (Thu.), 2026; December 31 (Thu.), 2026; April 1 (Thu.), 2027
Hours: From 10:00 a.m. for approximately 45 minutes Admission: Free for in-house guests Location: Entrance lobby on 1F Contents: Matcha green tea and Japanese sweets Limited availability.
Both kintsugi and the tea ceremony share an approach of cherishing the objects and moments before us while embracing the stories behind them. Kintsugi transforms damage into new beauty, while the tea ceremony reflects the spirit of putting one’s heart into a single bowl of tea.
At Shiba Park Hotel, located in the historic and tranquil Shiba area, guests can take time to engage with Japanese culture at a leisurely pace. Surrounded by books in a calm setting and welcomed with the warm hospitality the hotel has cultivated over many years, guests can experience Japanese culture in a thoughtful and unhurried way.
The insights gained through these experiences can make a stay in Tokyo deeper and more memorable.
About Shiba Park Hotel
Founded in 1948 as a hotel for foreign trade missions, Shiba Park Hotel has a history and tradition spanning decades. The hotel houses approximately 2,000 books selected by Ginza Tsutaya Books. It offers 198 guestrooms, a first-floor restaurant serving Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine, and four banquet rooms on the second floor. Guestrooms and public spaces were renovated from 2020 to 2023. Cultural experience events such as tea service and kintsugi workshops are also held.
https://www.shibaparkhotel.com/
Media Inquiries
Media inquiries regarding this matter should be directed to:
Shiba Park Hotel / Park Hotel Tokyo Brand Promotion Strategy Division Contact: Kitao, Tsunoda pr@shibaparkhotel.com TEL: +81 (0)3 3433 4141 (main) FAX: +81 (0)3 5470 7515
