Make a Tea Toast!!

Some cities require that the residences should have “sake” for the first drink when they go out for dinner or make a toast. Sake is our traditional alcohol, but not that popular now. People prefer beer. In order to boost sake industry, some sake-producing municipalities issued such an unique ordinance.

After the local goverments, Uji city in Kyoto renowned for Uji-tea is proposing to issue a regulation about tea. The proposal includes to “make a toast with Uji tea”, “serve Uji tea when residences have a guest” or so. The reason is the same. Even people living in Uji drink the tea less now. In many cases, coffee is served even when they have a guest at home, one of the most famous tea-producing areas. The people would not be penalized, breaking it. The local government just hopes that the regulation, if enacted, could help raise people’s awareness to its own specialty and boost its industry.

Is this going to be a shot in the arm to revive Uji tea? 

Anyway.... "kampai (cheers)!" with tea! 

hand-rolling Uji tea