The words of the great 16th Century Tea master, Sen no Rikyu, still ring true today. However, the simplicity of his message is in no way a recipe for the mundane or mediocre. It represents the essence of the Way of Tea, a spiritual path which emphasizes the four principles of wa – harmony, kei – respect, sei – purity, and jaku – tranquility, using tea as the medium of practice and study. But like most Zen traditions, simplicity and essence are often difficult to attain. Without good tea leaves, proper water temperature, the correct utensils, and the knowledge of proper preparation techniques; one cannot produce a good cup of tea.
It is our mission at Charaku Fine Japanese Tea to provide you with the materials and resources to create a thoroughly enjoyable tea experience; whether it is your own personal daily ritual for physical and spiritual health, or a desire to offer the ultimate in omotenashi, “hospitality,” to your guests. We offer a wide variety of high quality teas from various appellations throughout Japan. We also offer Certified Organic Matcha, produced from tencha, hand-picked and granite stone-milled in the traditional method. Our teas are sourced from artisan producers, many of whom are multi-generational, family tea farmers. Charaku teas are fresh packed, in Japan, in nitrogen-flushed small batches in order to bring you the freshest (and therefore healthiest) Japanese tea possible.
We also carry the utensils and accessories necessary to properly prepare and enjoy our quality Japanese tea. This includes hand crafted tea wares, carefully selected from Japanese and international artists. In addition, we provide the educational resources to enhance your understanding and appreciation of Japanese tea. Charaku literally means “Tea Pleasure,” and our hope is that our products and services will enable you to experience the pleasure of fine Japanese tea to the fullest extent!
Please travel through our website to explore the world of Charaku: The Pleasure of Fine Japanese Tea.
Fresh Cup
Charaku News and Events: July 2010
Shincha, Hamada, Karigane - Onoh! The wait is finally over; the 2010 Shincha (new harvest tea) is in! In Japan, shincha is anticipated as much as the Beaujoulais Nouveau in France, and commands over 60% of the market share of fresh tea. Shincha is thought to have more flavor and higher nutritional content than later harvested tea. Today's technology of nitrogen-flushed packaging (which Charaku Fine Japanese uses exclusively in small batches) does extend tea's freshness considerably, but it's always special to have the first tea of the season. Please see our Shop pages to order some today!
We are also happy to announce the additional of a new tea in our line-up, Karigane. Karigane is the term used for stem tea (Kukicha) derived from the harvest of Gyokuro. These stems have an exceptional flavor and full mouth feel, with limited caffeine. Stem tea (both Kukicha & Karigane) is also naturally alkaline (countering acidity) and is a popular tea among those following a macrobiotic diet. We hope that you will give this new tea a try.
Many of our customers are currently battling heat waves this time of year, and we've had comments on how much people are enjoying mizudashi (cold-infused) teas from Charaku. Kukicha, houjicha, or your favorite sencha can all be delicious cold. Here's a standard recipe: Let 10-15g (or more, to taste) of tea steep in 1 L (about 4 cups) of cold water in a covered container in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Strain thoroughly and enjoy! Keeps well for 24 hours.
We have recently acquired two wonderful pieces of mingei-inspired work by two important 20th Century Japanese Potters. First is a Tea Bowl by the late Shoji Hamada, National Living Treasure. The second is a Kogo Incense Container by Takeichi Kawai, nephew and kiln successor to Kanjiro Kawai. For more info, please visit our WaSabiDou Antique & Folk Crafts site at www.mingei-wasabidou.com.
On June 19, I was proud to have coordinated and been an in-kind sponsor of a performance of traditional Noh. Chuuden Yuugakukai of Nagoya performed to a (beyond) capacity crowd at the Wing Luke Asian Museum in Seattle. They were treated to a rare opportunity to witness the cultural legacy of traditional Noh Drama, and experience the Japanese aesthetic of yuugen (profundity, subtlety, mystery.) See my blog at http://wasabidou.blogspot.com for pictures and more info.