Too High Tea House

Terunobu Fujimoris tea house, Takasugi-an, which literally means a tea house too high, stands in Chino, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, atop three chestnut trees. The house is accessible only by ladder, and guests must remove their shoes and leave them on the platform before venturing inside for tea. As an architect, Fujimori is known for his innovative and often whimsical designs, and this freestanding structure certainly pushes the limits of a conventional teahouse.