Firstday of Spring

February 3rd is "Firstday of Spring".

It marks the beginning of spring, but it is also called "the end of the cold" and marks the time when the cold weather passes and the weather gradually gets warmer.

The blend representing the beginning of spring combines Yabukita, a pan-fried tea from Gokase, Miyazaki Prefecture, with cold tea, butterbur shoots, and damask rose.
A well-balanced blend of rich, sweet aroma and the bitter taste of butterbur shoots, this tea will make you look forward to the beginning of spring. The first, second and third brews are rich and elegant, with a fresh, dashi-like flavor.

Kancha is tea picked during the coldest period of the year, from Little Han to the beginning of Spring. Tea leaves that have endured the cold winter have less astringency and a strong sweetness and flavor.

Kancha tea, picked during the cold season, is a symbol of good health and longevity, and has long been considered an auspicious tea. In particular, there are some areas in Shizuoka and Aichi prefectures where the custom of drinking kancha tea on the first day of spring remains.

Tea farmers believe that the beginning of spring is when tea plants begin to prepare for spring.

In fact, the sunshine and rising temperatures after the beginning of spring are important for the growth of new spring buds, and Kancha tea is treasured as "the last blessing at the end of winter."

Other plants are also storing up energy for spring, so eating seasonal foods will help wake up your body.