Goryori Mukyu, a Japanese restaurant inside Roppongi Hills, is holding a two-day collaboration event with table tea ceremony instructor Naoko Tomita on July 16 (Thursday) and July 20 (Monday, a national holiday), 2026. Titled "A Japanese Culture Salon at Goryori Mukyu: Enjoying Tea Ceremony and Japanese Assiette Desserts," the event pairs Japanese-style assiette desserts with a tasting of Japanese teas.
Savoring the Spirit of Tea Ceremony Through Dessert and Tea Pairing
Tomita, representative of Table Tea Ceremony SUI under the Omatcha Communication® banner, teaches table-style tea ceremony to students across Japan and abroad. Together with Goryori Mukyu, she brings the spirit of hospitality and appreciation for the seasons cultivated by tea ceremony into a light, contemporary experience. Through a pairing of Japanese-style assiette desserts and Japanese tea, the event offers a one-of-a-kind cultural experience for the senses.
Blending Japanese Cuisine with Traditional Culture
At Goryori Mukyu, Japanese cuisine is treated not simply as a meal, but as a full cultural experience — one that includes an appreciation for the seasons, tableware and table settings, manners, and the spirit of hospitality. As part of that approach, the restaurant regularly hosts events that pair Japanese cuisine with traditional Japanese culture. A previous event paired kimono and yukata rental and dressing experiences with a meal at the restaurant, exploring Japanese culture through both attire and food.
This time, the theme is tea ceremony, Japanese assiette desserts, and tea pairing. Following the kimono-themed event, the restaurant turns to tea ceremony, another emblem of Japanese culture, reworking the hospitality and seasonal sensibility it embodies into a form that feels light and accessible today.
Kimono, tea ceremony, and Japanese cuisine are all traditional Japanese arts that value the changing seasons and consideration for others. Goryori Mukyu plans to continue pairing Japanese cuisine with a range of traditional arts to introduce new ways of enjoying Japanese culture to visitors from Japan and abroad.
Enjoying the Spirit of Tea Ceremony Through Tea Pairing
On the day of the event, a selection of Japanese teas chosen by Tomita will be paired with Japanese-style assiette desserts crafted by Goryori Mukyu, letting guests savor the gradual shift in aroma, flavor, and lingering finish.
Planned teas include a refreshing welcome tea, a fragrant rose tea, a rich and savory gyokuro, a smoky IBUSHI tea, and matcha.
Rather than sticking closely to formal ritual, the event offers an approachable way to feel the spirit of tea ceremony, welcoming both those already familiar with Japanese culture and first-time tea ceremony guests alike.
Assiette Desserts That Go Beyond Traditional Wagashi
The desserts served at the event go beyond the usual categories of "wagashi" or "dessert," offering Goryori Mukyu's own take on Japanese-style assiette desserts.
Shotaro Igarashi, the restaurant's chef, draws on his experience as a chef to create dishes that combine sweetness with savory elements, alongside cool, seasonal desserts and sweets made with fruit.
Part of the appeal is enjoying the soft textures and rising aromas that come only with freshly finished dishes, along with the beauty of watching each dish come together. Guests seated at the counter can watch the finishing touches up close.
Note: The lineup on the day may change depending on available ingredients and the season.
A Special Moment in a Tranquil Space
The event combines counter and table seating, limited to 10 guests per session. With such a small group, guests can take their time savoring the aroma of the tea and desserts, the chef's craftsmanship, and the quiet of the space itself.
Across two days combining tea ceremony, Japanese cuisine, sweets, and atmosphere, Goryori Mukyu — set in Roppongi Hills, a place where people from Japan and abroad cross paths — offers a new Japanese cultural experience found nowhere else.
Event Details
A Japanese Culture Salon at Goryori Mukyu: Enjoying Tea Ceremony and Japanese Assiette Desserts
- Dates: July 16 (Thursday) and July 20 (Monday, a national holiday), 2026
- Time: 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
- Venue: Goryori Mukyu (3F, Hills Keyakizaka-dori, 6-12-2 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
- Capacity: 10 guests per session
- Price: ¥18,000 (tax included) per person
- Reservations: Required, advance reservation only
- Application deadline: Once capacity is reached
- Application: https://ws.formzu.net/dist/S431838970/
The lineup on the day may change depending on available ingredients and the season. Reservations close once capacity is reached.
Naoko Tomita — Table Tea Ceremony Instructor, Representative of Table Tea Ceremony SUI
Born in Yokohama, Tomita first encountered tea ceremony in the fourth grade. Captivated by the novel Hideyoshi and Rikyu, she trained in the fundamentals of Urasenke tea ceremony before going on to study formally under the Omotesenke school.
She has since taught table-style tea ceremony — a style that crosses the boundaries between schools — to more than 2,100 people across 16 countries. As part of her work introducing Japanese culture abroad, she has spoken at seminars and tea gatherings hosted by the Italian Embassy, and has given private lessons to the wives of the Italian, Greek, Iranian, and Slovenian ambassadors to Japan. At Ikebana International 2019, she led a casual tea gathering attended by Princess Hisako of Takamado, the event's president, along with wives of members of the Abe Cabinet. In 2024, she spoke at a tea gathering in Taipei, Taiwan. Her table tea ceremony seminars have drawn coverage from publications including Kateigaho Tokusen Kimono Salon and BiSt. Since 2023, she has also led the "Elegant Being Program," which explores how to age gracefully and elegantly.
Shotaro Igarashi — Chef, Goryori Mukyu
A native of Fukushima Prefecture, Igarashi began his culinary career at the Michelin three-star restaurant Mizai in Kyoto, where he learned that culinary training never truly ends and developed the discipline and aesthetic sensibility needed to engage fully with the essence of kaiseki cuisine.
After returning to Tokyo, he served as sous chef at the Michelin two-star restaurant Goryori Miyasaka in Minami-Aoyama, then as executive chef at Saryo Miyasaka in Roppongi Hills, before opening Goryori Mukyu in 2025. That same year, the restaurant was named to the "100 Notable Japanese Restaurants in Tokyo 2025" (日本料理 TOKYO 百名店 2025) list.
"Still yet to be" — with the belief that there is no such thing as true completion, Igarashi continues an endless journey to carry the spirit of Japanese cuisine forward into the future, and out into the world.
Official website: https://gf-restaurant.jp/mukyu
