I’d like to share the “Unconscious Fantastic Obtainments” in tribute to UFO day, 24th June.

Desire to obtain wonderful something sometimes provides subtle obtainments.

Pursuing the best cuppa as I do, I could meet a fantastic cup, which has fresh tea flavor and delicate sweet aroma with transparent liquor color.

After the fantastic meet, I could not success to brew the same quality, although I tried many times.

It is speculated that the factors affecting the success are as follows
1. Large amount of loose leaf tea
2. Steeping time less than 5 minutes
3. Softly soaling the tea bag to water in Kyusu
4. Using loose leaf tea immediately after opening the package.

Now I deem the 4th factor could be the most important, because I could obtain in the only case using the tea freshly opened. Indeed, the aroma of loose leaf tea is very transient.

Due to the brevity of tea flavor, it is required to taste tea as soon as possible after brewing especially in the case of highly aromatic tea.

Such transience evokes a phrase of Zen “Kourojou Itten no Yuki”, which means “A piece of snow fallen onto a fire in hearth”, implying the ephemerality of things and lives.

Japanese traditionally enjoy the ephemeral features of nature in four seasons.

Views of nature beauty are also transient.

In the first flush season, I could meet an “Unconscious Fantastic Outlook” in the hidden eden of Shizuoka tea estate.

What a fantastic! It’s an artistic whimsicality of nature. Unfortunately I could not get and share the best scene of ghostly wonderful fog on tea plants, which scattering a rising sun shine. The fantastic view immediately change to usual scene as if an UFO vanishes from people’s view as soon as they notice.

A shot of transient scene around tea plantations on early morning.

Odyssey to obtain something fantastic sometimes make us meet a good result unconsciously. Hopefully nice meet to a fantastic cuppa of Japanese tea for you.