Hiroaki Nagai, President of Lexus Kuwana in Mie Prefecture, is one of the cultural people who discovered the appeal of tea through the works of Jihei Murase. A racer and powerful corporate warrior, Mr. Nagai diligently practices tea ceremony every morning despite his busy schedule. He invited Jihei to Lexus's showroom to host a tea gathering.

　When Jihei's standing tea table was placed in a corner of the showroom, where gleaming new cars were neatly lined up, the space transformed into a tea room. Nagai used tea utensils blending Jihei's works with those of contemporary artists to warmly entertain visiting local dignitaries. Jihei was deeply impressed by Nagai's approach to spreading culture in this way and expressed his gratitude.

　One reason tea ceremony gained popularity among warlords during the Sengoku period was its power to bridge the distance between people. In a sense, it may be inevitable that tea ceremony finds support among entrepreneurs racing to the top, navigating modern turbulence and meeting diverse customer needs.