【Event】Tradition Meets Technology:“The Tea Ceremony in NY”

On Monday, December 8, 2025, a unique cross-cultural collaboration between Hunter College (CUNY), Sony Computer Science Laboratories (Sony CSL), and THE GALLERY by Odo will bring to life “The Tea Ceremony in New York” — a multi-sensory exploration that merges the 400-year-old Japanese tea tradition with cutting-edge AR/VR technology.

The event invites guests to experience tea not only as a ritual of mindfulness and hospitality but also as a gateway to understanding the harmony between technology and humanity. Guided by the Zen philosophy of “Wa-Kei-Sei-Jaku” — harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility — this one-night event bridges past and future, East and West, and the physical with the virtual.

Through the research of Dr. Jun Rekimoto, Chief Science Officer of Sony CSL, and Dr. Wole Oyekoya, Associate Professor at CUNY, the JackIn* Space AR system and VR tea room simulation enable visitors to enter a digital tea room, observe the intricate motions of tea-making from any angle, and rediscover the beauty of human presence. This aims to contribute to the passing down of culture by advancing the technology for constructing an environment that is free in time and space. Students who are enrolling in the Japanese Tea Ceremony Course from Hunter College’s Japanese Studies, will perform live tea services, offering authentic experiences to complement the immersive sessions.

*JackIn is a framework for interactions allowing one person to become immersed in the situation another person is experiencing, sharing sensory input from that environment. The term “jack in” was coined by science fiction author William Gibson in his novel Neuromancer as futuristic slang for entering cyberspace. The “jacking in” concept further expanded to describe accessing the consciousness of another person. 

Event Details
• Date: Monday, December 8, 2025
• Time: 17:30–21:00 (doors open at 17:00)
• Venue: THE GALLERY by Odo (17 W 20th St, New York, NY 10011)
• Presented by: Hunter College
• Collaborated with: Sony Computer Science Laboratories, THE GALLERY by Odo
• Supported by: ITO EN, KORIN

This event marked as the kickoff of a joint research project between Sony CSL and Hunter College, supported by Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Adopting Sustainable Partnerships for Innovative Research Ecosystem(ASPIRE) program, Grant No. JPMJAP2503

About the Collaborators
• Hunter College (CUNY) & Prof. Wole Oyekoya :
　One of the oldest public colleges in the U.S., Hunter fosters cross-cultural learning and creativity, and it champions learning in the liberal arts and sciences as a foundation for personal growth and a more just, inclusive society. Under the leadership of Erica Chito-Child, Ruth and Harold Newman Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, the college is advancing efforts to bridge the humanities and technology. As part of this initiative, the VR-TeaRoom project has been launched.
　Prof. Wole leads the Visualization and Virtual Reality Lab. He is an Associate Professor at Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY) and a member of the Doctoral Faculty of CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY’s Ph.D. Program in Computer Science). His research expertise and interests include the following areas : Eye Tracking and Visual Attention Modeling, Immersive Visualization and Virtual Reality, Digital Humans (Virtual Self), Data Science and Visualization, Scientific Visualization, Learning in Virtual Environments, Distributed Heterogeneous Systems and Robotics and Telepresence.

• Sony Computer Science Laboratories (Sony CSL) & Dr. Jun Rekimoto :
　Sony CSL was established in 1988 to pioneer new research fields and paradigms, as well as new technologies and businesses, for the good of humanity, society and our planet. Today, the scope of its activities extends beyond human-centered challenges to include global-scale issues, with its mission being "Research for the Future of Humanity and Our Planet." Sony CSL gives free rein to its researchers and is committed to creating a better future via creative and imaginative research.
　Dr. Jun Rekimoto’s research interests include human-computer interaction, computer augmented environments and computer augmented humans (human-computer integration). He invented various innovative interactive systems and sensing technologies, including NaviCam (a hand-held AR system), Pick-and-Drop (a direct-manipulation technique for inter-appliance computing), CyberCode (the world’s first marker-based AR system), Augmented Surfaces, HoloWall, and SmartSkin (two earliest representations of multi-touch systems). He has published more than a hundred articles in the area of human-computer interactions, including ACM SIGCHI, and UIST.

• THE GALLERY by Odo:
　THE GALLERY by odo, located in New York City’s Flatiron District, is a unique concept created by Michelin-starred chef Hiroki Odo. It combines a refined dining experience with a rotating art gallery, offering Japanese dishes such as sushi, kushiage, and American burgers with a Japanese twist, featuring Sansho pepper soy sauce. Chef Odo’s passion for both food and art creates a harmonious relationship between the two, making each visit an immersive experience. The space regularly features exhibitions from local and international artists, bridging the gap between American and Japanese creative communities.