Roji is a concept created by Tomomi Yoshida and Christian Van Luven.
roji was conceived;
* to create a unique atmosphere that would blend styles from both east and west in simplicity.
* to be a place where everyone can spend time regardless of beliefs, practice, or cultural backgrouds as in Japanese tea ceremony, we are all equal in front of tea and in the tea house.
Tomomi is from Kyoto, Japan and has a family closely tied to the tea culture. Her grandmother is a master of the traditional tea ceremony, her Uncle is one of the directors at the Urasenke which is one of the most prestigious organization in traditional green tea ceremony culture. With her dad's business trips to China, Tomomi gained insight on the Chinese tea culture later on. Christian is originally from Syracuse and came back from New York City, which helped fuse the concept of mixing the lounge atmosphere of the city with the traditional eastern culture of roji.
