Winter Solstice

December 21st is "Winter solstice," marking the beginning of winter.
The shortest day of the year.

From this point on, the days get longer and the sun's power is restored, so it is said that "Ichiyou raifuku" (the return of yang) marks the beginning of good fortune.

Winter Solstice Blend Tea No. 419 combines Miyazaki Prefecture's Yabukita kettle-fried tea with apples, yuzu, and rosemary. After the refreshing scent of the forest fills your face, you can feel a subtle, gorgeous scent like lily of the valley. You can also enjoy the pleasant bittersweet taste of yuzu.

"Yuzu bath" is known as a seasonal word for the winter solstice. It is a grateful custom to use seasonal yuzu lavishly, but in hot and humid Japan, soaking in a bath is an everyday occurrence, and the relationship between hot water and Japanese people can be seen everywhere.

The same can be said for the tea ceremony and drinking tea. It may seem natural to express hot water as something other than "hot water," but it is actually something special. It is rare to find a single character in other languages to express "hot water." Only nature can "boil water." "Boiling water" is something that can be achieved with our own hands. Although it is a substance with the same chemical symbol, hot water feels as if it is being born from our hands.

The room is filled with steam as the water bubbles up. Let's boil some water and have tea.