Edogawa, Tokyo
Tea house, H residence, Edogawa
A building dedicated to tea, with an inner roji, a large room and a small room. The gently curved (mukuri) hipped roof is clad in sheet metal.
View on official site ↗
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Kato Biken
Ito, Shizuoka
Portable tea rooms that are easy to move and assemble, also suited to events.
Tap 'Visit official site' to go to this company's own website. Please send inquiries and quote requests directly through their channels.
Source: katoubiken.jp
Katou Biken is a timber builder founded in 1972 in Ito on the Izu Peninsula. Working mainly in Tokyo, Kanagawa and Shizuoka, it builds everything from custom homes to tea rooms, sukiya, inns, shrines and temples. Its history lists temple and tea-room work such as the Meigetsu-an tea room at Daichū-ji in Numazu (1999).
The firm is closely tied to tea: Chairman Kato (加藤和司) makes tea scoops and flower vases under the art name Kato Sōzan, and has held a solo exhibition at the Hatakeyama Memorial Museum (1998) and shown portable tea rooms, scoops and vases at Matsuya Ginza (2009). Under the SOUZAN name the company offers assemble-type portable tea rooms, the "Wa-ryūrei" table-style setup designed to look like seated temae, and tea utensils.
The portable tea rooms are designed to order, from a floor-only room to floor-standing, roofed and raised-floor types, up to a full version where a sunken hearth can be cut, priced to the budget. They can go into a spare room or a corner of an apartment and be removed later to restore the room. The firm works nationwide and will discuss installation abroad. It suits people who want a tea room but worry about budget or space, or who want a practice or tea-gathering space without a full build.
Portable tea roomEventsMovable
ProjectsCase studies
Asakusa, Tokyo
Chazen tea rooms, Asakusa
Chazen's second location, in a building near Kaminarimon: one floor with a large and a small tea room. Built just as the COVID-19 pandemic began.
View on official site ↗
Ginza, Tokyo
Chazen tea room, Ginza
A tea room in the building next to the Kabukiza, built semi-prefabricated: assembled in the workshop, then reassembled on site.
View on official site ↗
Kyōbashi, Tokyo
Rokyō-an tea room, Kuroda Tōen Kyōbashi
A semi-prefabricated tea room built inside an office building; photos show both workshop fabrication and on-site assembly. The finish is indistinguishable from conventional joinery.
View on official site ↗
Golden tea room
An assembly tea room used at events abroad, including Dubai and Italy, and covered on TV. It can be set up outdoors.
View on official site ↗
Assembly portable tea room, second generation
A floor-standing portable tea room that is easy to assemble and transport, suited to events.
View on official site ↗
Numazu, Shizuoka
Meigetsu-an tea room, Daichū-ji, Numazu
A tea room in the grounds of Daichū-ji, Numazu. The firm has also restored the temple's arbour, halls, Taishi-dō and the registered cultural property Onkō-den.
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Hokuto, Yamanashi
Relocation of Zuiryū-an, Hokuto
A tea room was moved from Izu Kōgen to Hokuto and rebuilt with some improvements; a new waiting room was added.
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Itō, Shizuoka
Sukiya house with tea room, K residence, Itō
A sukiya-style house with a tea room, notable for its gently curved roof. The firm also built the garage and arbour for the same home.
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Atami, Shizuoka
Sukiya gate, N residence, Atami
A sukiya-style gate built for a private residence.
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Atami, Shizuoka
Restoring a 1943 house, Atami
An 80-year-old house was stripped to its frame and restored to its original appearance, keeping its Shōwa-era sukiya atmosphere.
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One-sixth scale tea room
A tea room built at doll scale on commission, with properly made tatami and shoji.
View on official site ↗Photos: Kato Biken official website
Portable tea room FAQPortable tea room FAQ
Q. Can a sunken hearth be cut? / A. It depends on the building's structure; if not, the floor can be raised instead.
Q. What about electricity or a mizuya? / A. Wiring can go anywhere. Drawings are made after ordering, so finishes are your choice, and a mizuya can be added.
Q. Can it be shipped and built abroad? / A. Options such as sending the kit for local assembly can be discussed.
Raised tatami floor and rentalsRaised tatami floor and rentals
The chashitsu-doko raises the floor of any room as a tatami platform, where a hearth can be cut—like a tea room without partition walls. Tatami cores can be straw, board or thin mats, and part of the space underneath can be storage. Portable tea rooms are also available for partial installation or rental, and a catalogue, "Reiwa no Chashitsu", is published as a PDF.
GalleryGallery
Photos: Kato Biken official website
ServicesWhat they do
- Design, making and installation of assemble-type portable tea rooms
- Assemble-type raised tatami floor ("chashitsu-doko")
- Partial installation and rental of portable tea rooms
- Freestanding mizuya (preparation unit)
- Wa-ryūrei table-style tea setup
- New tea rooms and sukiya
- Shrine and temple work
- Custom homes and renovation
- Tea utensils such as scoops and flower vases
Selected worksWorks
- Meigetsu-an tea room, Daichū-ji, Numazu (1999)
- Tea rooms (large and small) for Chazen, Asakusa
- Tea room for Chazen, Ginza (semi-prefabricated)
- "Rokyō-an" tea room, Kuroda Tōen, Kyōbashi (semi-prefabricated)
- Golden tea room, used at events in Dubai and Italy
- Second-generation assemble-type portable tea room
- Portable tea room shown at "Sōzan no Chabi" exhibition, Matsuya Ginza (2009)
Company profileProfile
| Company | Katou Biken Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Address | 1371-40 Kawana, Ito, Shizuoka 414-0044 |
| Founded | Founded June 1972; incorporated April 1997 |
| Representative | Yukihiro Kato, President (since 2023); 加藤和司 (Kato), Chairman |
| Business | Conventional timber building, tea rooms and sukiya, shrine/temple work, renovation, SOUZAN portable tea rooms, tea utensils |
| Licenses | Construction license: Shizuoka Governor No. 19900; Class-2 architect office: Shizuoka reg. (2) No. 7089 |
| Phone | +81-557-45-0195 (8:00–17:00, closed Sundays) |
Sources (checked 2026年10月)
- katoubiken.jp
- katoubiken.jp/gaiyou
- katoubiken.jp/souzan/ptr
- katoubiken.jp/souzan/waryurei
- katoubiken.jp/result/category/29091
- katoubiken.jp/contact
- katoubiken.jp/result
- katoubiken.jp/sukiya
- katoubiken.jp/souzan/tea-room
- katoubiken.jp/result/2022/12/89519
- katoubiken.jp/result/2022/12/89554
- katoubiken.jp/result/2022/12/89549
- katoubiken.jp/result/2022/12/89548
- katoubiken.jp/result/2022/12/89551
- katoubiken.jp/result/2022/12/89550
- katoubiken.jp/result/2022/12/89535
- katoubiken.jp/result/2022/12/89533
- katoubiken.jp/result/2022/12/89532
- katoubiken.jp/result/2022/12/89534
- katoubiken.jp/result/2022/12/89522
- katoubiken.jp/result/2022/12/89559
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PRICE · 2026.10
What kit tea rooms cost — the published prices, side by side
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