On Friday, 1/5/2024, we held a Uji tea event at Kyoto Prefectural Tea Industry Hall (next to Takumi-no-Yakata).
This year’s event was “Ohbukucha and Koto (Japanese stringed instrument).” Ohbukucha is drunk during the New Year’s holidays, and the koto performance made for a gorgeous event.
As the koto was an open participation concert, many of the players performed pieces appropriate for the New Year.
There were flutes and singing and playing with the koto, and it was great to see them up close and in the air.
This time, Ohbuku tea was the main ingredient. This tea is indispensable for New Year’s in Kyoto because of the anecdote that Kuya Shonin distributed tea with plum seeds and knotted kelp in the streets to ward off disease in the old days.
The year 2024 is off to a rough start with the Noto Peninsula earthquake on New Year’s Day.
I only hope that you have time to take a break from the cold with a cup of hot tea.