TeaRoom

What TeaRoom does

TeaRoom is a vertically integrated Japanese tea company founded in May 2018 by CEO Ryo Iwamoto, headquartered in Tokyo with manufacturing operations in Shizuoka Prefecture. The company operates three interconnected divisions: a Tea Business (production and sales of Japanese green tea, black tea, and blended teas through an inherited Shizuoka factory and farm), a Culture Business (tea ceremony experiences, art installations, cultural events, and international cultural exchange), and a Co-creation Business (long-term strategic partnerships with major corporations). Its technical capabilities center on tea processing craft, novel applications such as whiskey barrel aging and tea-based gin distillation, and the applied methodology of chado (茶道) translated into corporate, hospitality, and diplomatic contexts.

The company serves enterprise clients including Japan Tobacco (JT), Tokyo Tatemono, Tanseisha (B-OWND), Dusit International, Hands, Takashimaya, Mr. CHEESECAKE, Kir C'est Bon, Tatsumi Distillery, and Sushi Sho New York, alongside government and diplomatic engagements such as Japan-ASEAN summits. Revenue is generated through four streams: tea product manufacturing and wholesale (B2B and B2C e-commerce), B2B project and consulting services, cultural event delivery at international venues and art fairs, and tea ingredient wholesale to partner brands. Distribution combines direct B2B sales, a dedicated overseas division, channel partnerships (luxury hotels, department stores, restaurants), and a proprietary e-commerce storefront. As of early 2026 the company had approximately 25 employees, registered capital of ¥59 million, and an operating footprint spanning Japan, Thailand, the United States, Austria, Vietnam, Oman, and the United Kingdom.

Name

TeaRoom

Legal name

株式会社TeaRoom

Website

https://tearoom.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TeaRoom is a vertically integrated Japanese tea company that combines primary tea production in Shizuoka with cultural programming and B2B co-creation services for enterprise clients across hospitality, real estate, luxury, and government sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Tea and Cultural Services

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE), Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ), Coffee & Tea Beverage Co-Packing (RTD Coffee/Tea, Cold Brew) (AFAFAIAD)

Keywords

• Japanese tea production
• Tea ceremony experiences
• Specialty tea manufacturing
• Tea cultural consulting
• Tea ingredient wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tea Product Manufacturing & Sales: TeaRoom produces and sells Japanese tea (green tea, black tea, blended tea) through its own manufacturing operations inherited in Shizuoka. Products are sold as loose leaf tea, tea bags, and powder to B2B clients (hotels, restaurants, retailers) and B2C via the company's own e-commerce shop. Revenue is generated through product margins and wholesale ingredient supply to partner brands.
2. B2B Project & Consulting Services: TeaRoom provides paid cultural programs, consulting, and project-based engagements to enterprise clients. Projects include: tea experience design for offices, hotel tea salons, brand collaborations, and long-term strategic partnerships with corporations like Tokyo Tatemono and JT. Revenue is generated through project fees, licensing of tea service formats, and ongoing retainer arrangements.
3. Cultural Event & Experience Delivery: Revenue from organizing and producing tea ceremonies and cultural events at international venues, art fairs, diplomatic summits, and corporate functions. Fees are charged for event design, curation, on-site tea service, and materials sourcing. The Art Collective TeaRoom also generates revenue through art fair participation and installation sales.
4. Tea Ingredient Wholesale: TeaRoom supplies tea raw materials (leaf, bag, powder formats) to food and beverage brands for use in their own products—confectionery, alcoholic beverages, packaged goods. This is a volume-based wholesale model with recurring purchase relationships.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

TeaRoom produces, manufactures, and sells Japanese green tea, black tea, and specialty blended teas through its own Shizuoka farm and factory, while designing and delivering tea ceremony experiences, cultural programs, and consulting services for corporate clients. It operates three divisions: a Tea Business for production, ingredient wholesale, and OEM/ODM; a Culture Business for tea ceremony events, art installations, inbound tourism, and international cultural exchange; and a Co-creation Business for long-term strategic B2B partnerships with enterprises and government bodies.

Product overview

TeaRoom operates three interconnected business divisions: Tea Business (production and sales of Japanese tea), Culture Business (cultural events and tea ceremonies), and Co-creation Business (cross-industry partnerships). The company produces tea at its inherited Shizuoka factory and collaborates with various industries including whisky, coffee, and hospitality. Tea ceremonies and cultural experiences are offered through partnerships with hotels, corporations, and international art events, creating a vertically integrated model connecting tea production with cultural dissemination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tea Business (Tea事業) Japanese tea production, manufacturing, sales, OEM/ODM, and consulting. Produces Japanese green tea, black tea, and specialty blended teas at TeaRoom's inherited Shizuoka factory, with raw material supply to brand partners and cross-industry technology collaborations with coffee, whisky, and sauna sectors.
• Culture Business (文化事業) Cultural projects including tea ceremony experiences, art installations, inbound tourism, education programs, and international cultural exchange. Organizes tea events at global venues including SCOPE Miami Beach art fair, Dusit Thani Kyoto hotel, and ASEAN summits.
• Co-creation Business (共創事業部) Business development division focused on long-term co-creation projects with corporate partners including JT, Tokyo Tatemono, and Tanseisha. Manages industry ecosystem formation and cross-sector collaboration programs.
• Office de Chanoiwa (オフィスで茶の間) Wellness program bringing traditional Japanese tea ceremony into office workplaces. Developed with Tokyo Tatemono for the Yaesu area redevelopment project, providing tea experiences to office workers for wellbeing and communication enhancement.
• Otemiyage (おてみやげ) Gift service featuring curated tea selections curated by tea experts, offering story-based souvenirs for domestic and international gifting occasions.
• Microtopia by TeaRoom Installation art piece representing TeaRoom's artistic expression exploring tea culture and contemplative experiences, installed at Wonderfruit festival as a permanent exhibition.

Quantifiable outcome

• JPY 22 million in craft sales in a 6-day art fair event (SCOPE MIAMI BEACH collaboration with B-OWND)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Forbes JAPAN ( Forbes JAPAN)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025CEO Ryo Iwamoto served as advisor for the Forbes JAPAN 'CulturePreneur' special edition feature, which included a dialogue with B-OWND's Ken Ishigami. The feature amplified TeaRoom's cultural entrepreneurship philosophy to a high-value business audience.
• Japan ASEAN (日ASEAN)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025At the Japan-ASEAN summit, TeaRoom provided tea ceremony experiences as a welcome drink and cultural excursion for visiting dignitaries. This diplomatic engagement reinforces TeaRoom's role as a cultural soft power partner for Japan's international relations.
• Tokyo Tatemono Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Tokyo Tatemono and TeaRoom collaborate on the Yaesu urban redevelopment project, implementing the 'Office de Chadonoma' program—introducing tea ceremony experiences into office environments to enhance worker well-being. The project is part of Tokyo Tatemono's broader 'regeneration' urban development philosophy, integrating food culture and tea into the Yaesu/Nihonbashi/Keyabashi area. TeaRoom also participates in broader urban culture programming including outdoor tea ceremonies in the redevelopment zone.
• Dusit International (Dusitani Kyoto)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Dusit International, a Thai luxury hotel chain, partnered with TeaRoom to establish a Tea Salon at Dusitani Kyoto (their first Japan property). TeaRoom designed the tea experience, supervised on-site tea farm management near the hotel, and curated the overall tea and wellness experience for hotel guests. This represents TeaRoom's entry into international luxury hospitality.
• Tokyo Food Institute (、一般社団法人TOKYO FOOD INSTITUTE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Sawa Toshikazu of Tokyo Tatemono founded the Tokyo Food Institute to promote food culture as a driver of urban regeneration. TeaRoom was introduced to Tokyo Tatemono through this institute, and the relationship facilitates broader food culture and urban development collaborations beyond individual projects.
• Wonderfruit FestivalcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024TeaRoom has participated in Wonderfruit, Thailand's largest outdoor sustainable festival, since 2024. In 2025, TeaRoom presented a permanent installation art piece 'Microtopia by TeaRoom.' The 2026 edition 'Wonderfruit Chapters: Kyoto' is co-hosted by TeaRoom—marking the festival's first Japan event. This partnership positions TeaRoom in the international wellness and sustainability festival ecosystem.
• Shizuoka Bank (静岡銀行)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Shizuoka Bank collaborates with TeaRoom on the 'Tea Industry-Specialized Information Platform Ecosystem Formation' project, a Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry regional demonstration initiative. The project aims to revitalize the Japanese tea industry through information platform development and supply chain reform.
• Shizuoka Tea Market (静岡茶市場)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024TeaRoom collaborates with Shizuoka Tea Market as part of the same tea industry ecosystem reform project. Both entities are key partners in the METI-supported initiative to modernize and globalize the Japanese tea industry.
• TBWA HAKUHODUminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023TBWA HAKUHODU engaged TeaRoom to deliver a workshop using tea ceremony philosophy and Japanese cultural thinking for corporate training. The session addressed how employees and divisions should engage with the agency's brand philosophy of 'Disruption' in a psychologically safe environment.
• Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten (株式会社中川政七商店)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023CEO Ryo Iwamoto serves as an outside director at Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, a traditional Japanese craft retailer. This board position creates a strategic connection between TeaRoom's tea culture activities and Nakagawa's national network of craft retail locations.
• Hands Co., Ltd. (株式会社ハンズ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Hands and TeaRoom co-developed the brand 'THE CASK AGING'—Japan's first whiskey barrel-aged black tea. The collaboration is grounded in both companies' 'craft' philosophy, and the product is sold through Hands retail locations nationwide. This represents TeaRoom's first major branded retail partnership.
• Herringbone (株式会社ヘラルボニー)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Herringbone, a company run by artists with disabilities, collaborated with TeaRoom and Asahiyaki (朝日焼) to produce craft objects for tea ceremony. The project drew on Murata Jomei's concept of 'blurring the boundary between Japan and China' and explored universal expression through tea objects.
• Tanseisha Co., Ltd. (B-OWND)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Tanseisha's B-OWND platform and TeaRoom collaborate on using tea ceremony as a vehicle for Japanese craft and art appreciation. Joint activities include art fair exhibitions at SCOPE MIAMI BEACH (2023, 2024), where tea ceremony was presented as an installation art form. Achieved JPY 22 million in craft sales in a single 6-day event. The partnership explores how tea ceremony can serve as a 'synthesis art' that activates the market for Japanese crafts by integrating them into experiential contexts.
• THE CRAFT FARM (ティーグラウンドクラフトファーム)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019THE CRAFT FARM is a joint venture between TeaRoom and local Shizuoka tea merchant Kakuni Chato (カクニ茶藤), established in 2019. TeaRoom holds a stake and its Tea Division General Manager Kota Kajiwara serves concurrently at THE CRAFT FARM. The company operates TeaRoom's Shizuoka manufacturing facility and conducts R&D on craft tea processing, including whiskey barrel aging techniques for tea.
• Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018TeaRoom and JT engage in ongoing strategic dialogue on the intersection of indulgence industries (tobacco and tea) and their role in society. JT was TeaRoom's first major corporate partner, providing validation and support during the company's early years. The partnership explores themes of 'creating a society where indulgence products can be enjoyed with culture,' and 'cultural entrepreneurship for peace.' JT supported TeaRoom's belief that 'delicious products need a delicious society to be enjoyed in.' The relationship evolved into co-creating a new model for how beverage and indulgence industries can contribute to social well-being.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Lupicia: Lupicia operates a chain of retail tea boutiques plus e-commerce and wholesale, blending and packaging Japanese and global teas under its own brand. Comparable to TeaRoom in combining tea blending/flavor development with multi-channel premium retail and foodservice partnerships.
• Tsujiri Co., Ltd. Tsujiri is a Uji-based matcha specialist with retail stores, branded packaged goods, and cafe/dessert collaborations. Comparable to TeaRoom in marrying premium Japanese matcha production with branded retail and lifestyle-oriented B2B collaborations.
• Ippodo Tea Co., Ltd. Ippodo is a long-established Kyoto-based premium Japanese green tea brand that cultivates, processes, and retails tea. Like TeaRoom, it operates at the intersection of premium tea production and brand storytelling, with direct-to-consumer, foodservice, and international channels.
• Aiya Co., Ltd. Aiya is one of Japan's largest industrial matcha producers, supplying ingredient-grade and retail matcha globally. Comparable to TeaRoom as a vertically integrated Japanese tea manufacturer with OEM/ingredient supply to food and beverage brands and an export focus.
• Yamamotoyama Co., Ltd. Yamamotoyama is a historic Japanese nori and tea company producing green tea, hojicha, and packaged tea products. Comparable to TeaRoom as a long-standing Japanese tea manufacturer selling branded packaged tea through retail and foodservice channels.
• Marukyu Koyamaen Co., Ltd. Marukyu Koyamaen is a Uji-based producer of premium matcha and Japanese tea with strong B2B and D2C channels. Comparable to TeaRoom in its focus on high-grade Japanese tea processing, blending, and brand-led retail, including overseas distribution.

Emerging players

• Encha (Encha LLC): Encha is an organic Japanese matcha brand selling loose-leaf and latte products through D2C and foodservice. Comparable to TeaRoom as a premium Japanese tea brand pursuing D2C and B2B channels in the US and abroad with a craft and wellness narrative.
• Mizuba Tea Co. Mizuba is an emerging US-based single-origin Japanese matcha brand focused on premium sourcing and direct-to-consumer storytelling. Comparable to TeaRoom in emphasizing premium, single-origin Japanese green tea positioning with a strong cultural narrative.

Broad incumbents

• Suntory Holdings Limited: Suntory is a global Japanese beverage conglomerate with tea, coffee, and experiential hospitality brands. Comparable to TeaRoom as a large incumbent pursuing premium Japanese beverage products, brand storytelling, and cultural/lifestyle experiential venues.
• ITO EN, Ltd. ITO EN is Japan's largest tea and beverage manufacturer with extensive RTD tea and bottled beverage lines plus the loose-leaf brand. Comparable to TeaRoom as a dominant Japanese tea producer that also pursues branded CPG, foodservice supply, and overseas expansion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tearoom_japan
• Facebookfacebook.com/tearoomjapan/?locale=ja_JP
• Instagraminstagram.com/tearoom_japan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TeaRoom