This is the third story in the series leading up to GINRYOKU TEAWARE. It continues to focus on personal narratives.
The Tea Room and Fragrance in My Memory
My encounter with tea began with childhood memories. Though my grandparents' house, built before the war, was Western-style, a small raised tea room was tucked into one corner of the Western-style reception room. Since my grandmother taught tea ceremony, that space was enveloped in a strange atmosphere blending Western and Japanese elements. Even as a child, that unique atmosphere left a deep impression, one I can still recall vividly today.
Perhaps because she too had grown up in such an environment, my mother cherished Japanese tea while also enjoying hand-ground black tea and coffee brewed with a drip filter, as well as Fauchon's golden, beautifully shimmering cans of apple tea. The milk tea made from the tea leaves taken from those Fauchon tins remains a special memory in my heart to this day.
My earliest vivid memory of tea involves making Royal Milk Tea*1 in a small pot as a child. Though I can't recall exactly what prompted it, the scene of adding tea leaves to the bubbling milk in the pot remains strangely etched in my memory. The deep hue of the brewed milk tea remains a color I unconditionally love to this day.
The world of longing opened by literature
The books I cherished as a child—Burnett's Little Lord Fauntleroy and Little Princess, and Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings—featured scenes where characters enjoyed tea or coffee. These depictions may have nurtured my longing for tea time. The tea time portrayed in these stories was positioned not merely as the consumption of beverages, but as a crucial element that created a special time and space.
I believe these literary experiences significantly influenced my later attitude toward tea. Perhaps it was around this time that I began to recognize tea not merely as a beverage, but as a cultural practice that enriches time and space.
The Two Doors of Adulthood
My interest in tea changed significantly after I started working. During this period, I ended up opening two important doors.
The first encounter was at a café called "Dan Aroma" that opened near my home station. There, I discovered silverware and simultaneously stepped into the new world of Chinese tea. Particularly memorable was my introduction to Fenghuang Dancong*3. Its brilliance, so different from the Darjeeling*4 I was accustomed to, left me stunned: "Is this really tea?"
The second was my encounter with an online tea shop called "Kyoto Select Shop." Here, I was introduced to the flavors of teas from various regions: Ruhuna, Darjeeling, Nilgiri, and Taiwanese teas. While the exact sequence of these events is unclear, they all occurred around the same time and became pivotal moments that decisively shifted my interest in tea.
A New Perspective: Specific Tea Gardens
Through Kyoto Select Shop, I discovered the experience of drinking tea leaves cultivated at specific tea gardens. This was a major revelation for me. I realized that what I had vaguely thought of as simply "black tea" actually possesses entirely different characteristics depending on the production region, the tea garden, and even the harvest time.
Darjeeling*4 is categorized into First Flush, Second Flush, and Autumnal based on harvest time, with quite distinct flavors. My journey began by experiencing these differences firsthand. While other regions' teas lack Darjeeling's*4 clear distinctions, each has its own season, adding seasonal color to my tea life. Later, I learned much about Sri Lankan teas from Aoyama Tea Factory.Sri Lankan teas are further subdivided into distinct regional varieties. Indian-style, Chinese-style, Taiwanese-style, and more recently, Japanese-style black tea also seems to have gained considerable popularity. This diversity gradually permeated my tea world over time.
Expanding Interest in Tools
As my fascination with tea deepened, my interest naturally expanded to tea ware. It began with my first encounter with silverware, then broadened to tea sets, tea strainers*5, and teaspoons. After becoming more familiar with Chinese tea, I also developed an interest in teapots, and gradually began collecting vintage teacups as well.
However, these tools were positioned as mediators for enjoying the tea itself. The tools were meant to draw out the tea's deliciousness and enrich the tea time, but tea remained the main attraction.
Days of continuous exploration
Though there were times when I didn't delve deeply into it due to work demands, my day almost always begins with milk tea. I enjoy changing the tea leaves daily—Assam, Ruhuna, various company blends, and more.
Whenever I travel, the first thing I do is get milk. Searching high and low for milk in Hong Kong is now a fond memory (whereas in the UK, it's usually provided in hotel rooms).
Looking back, my journey with tea feels less like a single turning point and more like a continuous experience where various doors gradually opened, expanding my world. My encounter with Royal Milk Tea*1, my discoveries in Darjeeling*4, my encounters with teas from various tea gardens and regions, and my expansion into Chinese teas. Furthermore, my consistent life with Japanese tea. All of these, while maintaining continuity, have deepened my understanding and affection for tea.
Curiosity opens doors
The concept behind "Museo," a project I previously led, was that "curiosity opens doors to the world." This truth also applies to the world of tea. Starting with that first cup of Royal Milk Tea*1, each act of curiosity opened new doors, leading me to worlds I had never known before.
The richness of the world of tea lies not merely in its diversity. It encompasses the unique character of each tea, the terroir of the land where it is born, the skill and philosophy of its makers, and the experience and memories of those who drink it. All these elements intertwine intricately, contained within a single cup of tea.
Thoughts GINRYOKU TEAWARE
GINRYOKU TEAWARE current vision GINRYOKU TEAWARE is an extension of this philosophy. What we wish to offer is not merely tea ware, but a gateway to new tea experiences. We hope each piece of tea ware sparks the user's curiosity and becomes an opportunity to open the door to a world of tea yet to be discovered.
Tea is never a static, finished world. There are always discoveries to be made, always new surprises. Regional characteristics, seasonal changes, the maker's individuality, and the drinker's sensibility. Where all these intersect, the tea experience holds infinite possibilities.
Door to Readers
For those who have read this article, you too must have your own encounters with tea. It might be a memory from childhood, or perhaps a recent discovery. What matters is to cherish those encounters and keep your curiosity alive.
The adventure that begins with a single cup of tea never truly ends. Encounters with new tea leaves, discoveries of new brewing methods, encounters with new tea ware. All of these enrich our world of tea and add depth to our daily lives.
The door to the world of tea is always open. All that is needed is the curiosity to open it. GINRYOKU TEAWARE wishes to explore new tea experiences alongside those who share this curiosity.
My adventure, which began with a single cup of tea, continues to this day. And it will continue forever.
Notes
*1 Royal Milk Tea: A rich milk tea made by simmering tea leaves in milk. Originating in Britain, it developed uniquely in Japan.
*2 Burnett: Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924). British-American novelist. Known for children's literature such as Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Little Princess, and The Secret Garden.
*3 Fenghuang Dan Cong: An oolong tea produced in Fenghuang Mountain, Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province, China. Made from leaves picked from individual tea bushes, it is characterized by a vibrant floral and fruity aroma.
*4 Darjeeling: A black tea produced in the Darjeeling region of West Bengal, India. Known as the "champagne of teas," its flavor varies depending on the harvest period.
*5 Tea strainer: A mesh-like device used to filter tea leaves when pouring from a teapot.
*6 Tolkien: John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892–1973). British linguist and author. Known as a master of fantasy literature for works such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Summary
This article details the author's journey with tea, from childhood to the present. It begins with foundational experiences: early encounters in her grandmother's tea room, her mother's influence through tea and coffee culture, and literary inspirations. A pivotal moment came during her time as a certified public accountant, marked by "two doors": discovering Chinese tea and silverware in a café, and finding tea leaves from specific tea gardens at a Kyoto boutique.Subsequently, the journey—from discovering regional and seasonal characteristics through specific tea garden leaves, to developing an interest in tea ware, culminating in the current GINRYOKU TEAWARE —is consistently framed under the theme "Curiosity Opens Doors." The article presents readers with the value of continuous exploration and the opening of doors to new tea experiences.