After a few days spent exploring and meandering through, Kyoto, the historic heart of Japan, my partner and I began to suffer from a distinct case of temple fatigue. Temples are stunning and inspiring to be sure, but after the first fifty or so temples I must admit that they do start to blend together a bit. We needed a change of scenery, so off we went to spend the day in the small neighboring city of Uji.
Uji is famed for the quality of its green tea, which is said (especially by residents and most especially by resident tea merchants) to be the finest in all of Japan. Now, the Japanese know a thing or two about tea and hold the beverage in very high esteem, so this was a bold claim that we just had to evaluate.
Uji is littered with tiny tea shops, each with its own story. One shop had been in the same family for 16 generations (and had sold tea to the emperor himself, according to the very charismatic proprietor), while another still ground its own matcha (powdered green tea) by hand, following centuries-old traditions.
As we entered each shop we were inevitably greeted by friendly staff who offered us complimentary cups of delicious sencha, which is the everyday green tea that is a staple of the Japanese diet. Even these free samples were prepared with quiet care and attention to detail – everything from the measuring of the tea leaves to the pouring of the cups was done as if we were the most valuable of customers.
Sitting in one old shop, watching our hostess prepare our tea, I was inspired to celebrate this humble, much beloved drink, and the feelings of peace and tranquility a simple cup of tea can provide.
Such a simple thing,
But with each steaming hot cup,
We can pause the world.
Whenever this crazy world sends your spirits reeling and your head spinning, give yourself a tea (coffee / juice / beverage of choice) break. Take a few moments to enjoy one of life’s simplest pleasures, slow down, and pause the world.
Take care of yourselves and each other, everyone. So many of us need a bit more love and support these days, and a few more cups of tea enjoyed with loving friends.
So lovely! I’m jealous. Have an amazing time in Japan!
Well, I have plenty of Japan posts lined up and ready to go, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to travel vicariously! ?
Your ending is important “So many of us need a bit more love and support these days, and a few more cups of tea enjoyed with loving friends.”
May you find the peace you seek.
Agreed!
Really enjoyed your post — photos, thoughts, and poem! Taking our time to savor the moment has myriad benefits, doesn’t it? Thanks!
So true – life just moves so fast sometimes, you need to slow it down every once in a while!
Wonderful! (Isn’t it terrible when traveling how fast the new becomes old hat?) I love that you took a chance to slow down and savor.
Exactly – for the first leg of our trips we were taking dozens of photos a day, everything was new and shiny and exciting, but before long we just longed for a comfy bed and a clothes dryer! That’s when you need to shake things up with a change of scenery. ?
I love this post, Jane, taking a trip with you is uplifting and interesting. And I love that final line, “we can pause the world”.
Isn’t tea a wonderful thing? We can’t press rewind on the world, but we can press pause, at least for a moment or two! ?
So lovely. Thank you for sharing your journey to Japan with us. I enjoyed a cup of green tea earlier this morning, and I love the thought of pausing the world while I sip.
That sounds like it was the perfect break in the routine. Fun as it was, you still need a break!
There’s something so deeply centering about tea in Japan…more places need to adopt those ways.
Thank you for this new installment of your travels, Jane! and I love your advice to “pause the world.” Such a simple thing, but handled with care and ceremony, even a cup of tea can become an occasion.
Was the green tea there the best in Japan? Or is the tea near a temple more spiritually nurturing? I love the photo of the canal or river. So peaceful.
Hmmm..To be honest, I’m a black tea drinker myself (Earl Grey with milk, please!), so I’m no connoisseur of green tea! But the experience was definitely the best we’d had, a quiet, peaceful escape from the hustle and the bustle, just what a cup of tea should be!
Such a simple thing
to share one’s travels with me
but the joy, the joy!
Thank you for the gorgeous photos and poetry and just mind of exploration you share here. It is as a cup of tea for my soul. Have a great week.
Well, I’m glad you enjoy my travel posts, because we travelled through Japan for six weeks, and I have so many stories to share! ? Travel in general is such an inspiring experience – I was feeling quite burnout and stale in the months before we left, and I really feel like this change of scenery has refreshed the old creative juices!
A cup of tea with a friend is the very best way to pause the world (or at least one of the best that is also lower in calories than ice cream!) Thanks for bringing us with you on your trip!
Oh yes, nothing wrong with a scoop or ice cream, or a piece of chocolate now and then! It’s all about taking a moment for yourself, and treating yourself to something rejuvenating – we all deserve that!
That first photo is so breathtaking! What a wonderful message you bring to us all this week. I do enjoy a cup of tea every once in awhile before I go to bed. It does to the mind and soul good!
I grew up with a tea-drinking mum, so any conversation starts with putting the kettle on! ?
Even your haiku makes me feel peaceful! We are going to need these moments in the coming days! Beautiful!
I’m with you–black tea with milk!
Once again, I’ve enjoyed your travel insights!
Thank you for letting me live vicariously through your travel posts, Jane. Your poem is a lovely respite with advice I try to follow daily: “pause the world” (if only we could pause Friday forever…).
Ohhhh, pausing the world with a cup of tea is the best!
Oh that is a nice post. I am not a tea drinker but coffee. However because of this you inspire me to prepare a cup from a friend’s present from Greece. It smells nice and it came in 3 different boxes. Hmmm, now i will try one! I wonder how different is Japan’s tea from Greece tea.
I’d love a green tea right about now! I’m a huge fan of green tea. Would love to visit Uji one day to try the tea there!
Wonderful advice…a cup of green tea when the world is too much with us…! In keeping with the subject matter might be the old Oriental curse:
“May you live in interesting times”!
Kay
An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel
I so enjoyed reading this post! We really do need to slow down and enjoy a break and a cup of tea is a wonderful way to do that. Thank you for sharing this story of your travels with us at Hearth and Soul. Hope you will visit again this week!