Tea Room Living: A Former Museum Connected to Tea Ceremony Sage in Odawara

This property in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, is a former private museum known as “Don’u in Saikaiji.” It was dedicated to displaying items related to Takashi Masuda (nicknamed Don’u), a businessman who served as president of Mitsui & Co. and played a major role in modern tea ceremony exchange. The building features a genuine four-and-a-half-tatami tea room with a sunken hearth (ro), a refined woven bamboo ceiling, and earthen walls. The tea room is practical, complete with a mizuya (preparation area) for actually making tea. The property offers two entrances: one for the former exhibition space and one for the residential quarters. The first floor exhibition hall is a museum-like space designed to limit light for displaying precious tea utensils, yet it retains a warm, welcoming atmosphere thanks to Juraku plaster walls, wooden flooring, exposed ceiling beams, and fixtures that let in natural light. The second floor living area is bright and airy, with large sliding windows, two skylights, pale yellow walls, and a workspace with built-in storage and a desk. The kitchen is compact but well-equipped with a three-burner gas stove, dishwasher, and ample storage. There is an 8-tatami Japanese-style room suitable for a bedroom, a wide wall-to-wall closet, and a storage room. The first floor has one toilet, and the second floor has another toilet plus a washbasin and bathroom (the second-floor fixtures show signs of use and may need replacement). The property can be used as a residence only, or as a combined shop and residence (gallery, classroom, atelier, or cafe with appropriate permits).