A story of water

Toka's shop and tearoom are located in Goshohigashi, east of the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Wells scattered throughout this area draw on water long celebrated as among Kyoto's finest. There is Nashinoki Shrine, well known for its wakamizu — the "first water" drawn by tea practitioners — and further south, Shimogoryō Shrine. Tōka stands directly along the underground waterway connecting the two, and on its grounds sits an old well believed to have been passed down through generations. We redug the well some years ago, and to us, the water tasted sweeter and fresher than any we'd had before.

Kyoto is an ancient city built atop bedrock layers deposited over 150 million years ago. Its abundant groundwater is said to rival even Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake. This lively, soft-flowing water is a perfect match for tea, and at Tōka, we're fortunate to serve this freshly drawn spring water in everything we offer.

With July drawn to a close and the Gion Festival behind us, we find ourselves in the height of summer, the air filled with the sound of cicadas. It's a familiar Kyoto scene: almost every day, evening showers catch passersby off guard, soaking their feet as they walk through the streets, until they pause beneath the eaves to wait for the rain to subside.

It's said that the water circulating through nature has remained unchanged since ancient times — from rain to groundwater, from rivers to the sea, and up into the clouds — continuously changing form as it cycles between heaven and earth. When we consider that the water in a glass, the rain that wets the streets, and the sacred water blessed in Shinto rituals all share the same origin, then a single cup of tea carries us, if only for a moment, along that grand journey water takes.

Wakamizu — the sacred water first drawn in the early morning of New Year's Day. It is believed to dispel the previous year's misfortune and renew both body and spirit. Tea practitioners use it to prepare the first tea of the year in celebration of the New Year.