For tea lovers, summer doesn’t mean giving up a favorite drink—just changing the way it is enjoyed. With a few adjustments to brewing techniques, blend selection, and storage, tea can be perfectly suited to hot weather. Here are some ideas for organizing summer tea:

1. Experiment with cold brew. Cold brewing limits the extraction of tannins and caffeine, resulting in a naturally sweeter, smoother taste with no bitterness. Proportions: Use 10–12 grams of loose leaves for every liter of cold water. Time: Let steep in the refrigerator for 6 to 12 hours. Ideal teas: Japanese green teas (such as Sencha), white teas, and floral Oolongs.

2. Master the “flash chilling” method. When time is short, it is possible to prepare iced tea instantly while preserving the most delicate aromas. Method: Infuse the tea hot, using half the usual amount of water to obtain a concentrated brew. Pour: Pour the hot tea directly into a glass filled with ice. Result: The ice melts immediately, chilling the drink quickly without watering it down too much.

3. Choose summer-friendly varieties. Certain teas and infusions are naturally more refreshing or particularly pleasant when served cold. Green teas: Rich in antioxidants, they provide an immediate feeling of lightness and refreshment. Mugicha: A caffeine-free infusion of roasted Japanese barley, very popular in summer. Hibiscus (Carcadè): Tart, vibrant, and thirst-quenching, excellent when combined with fresh fruit. Mint tea: Menthol activates the body’s cold receptors, enhancing the sensation of freshness.

4. Protect the tea collection from heat. High temperatures and summer humidity can quickly damage tea leaves and alter their aroma. Containers: Prefer airtight tins or ceramic jars. Location: Store containers in a cool, dark cupboard, away from heat sources such as the stove. Refrigerator: Keep the most delicate green teas (such as Matcha) in the fridge, making sure they are well sealed to prevent them from absorbing food odors.

5. Create special ice cubes. Avoid diluting tea with ordinary ice that weakens the flavor. Tea ice: Freeze the same tea that will be served and use it as ice cubes. Aromatic ice: Add mint leaves, blueberries, or lemon slices to the ice cube tray before freezing to enrich the drink with subtle aromas.

Kato Kiyoyuki Art Architecture Japan treasure ancient sake cup constellation 

Seigan Yamane Hagi Ware

Seigan Yamane Hagi ware represents a contemporary evolution of traditional Japanese Hagi-yaki, celebrated for its soft textures, subtle glazes, and refined wabi-sabi aesthetics. Each piece is handcrafted, highlighting the natural beauty of clay and the quiet elegance of minimalist design.

Hagi ware by Seigan Yamane is especially known for its distinctive blue and deep-toned glazes, which enhance the tactile feel and visual depth of tea bowls, cups, and tableware. Over time, the surface develops a unique patina as tea and liquids seep into the fine crackles of the glaze, creating a personal, living finish.

Ideal for Japanese tea ceremonies, daily use, or as collectible art, Seigan Yamane Hagi ware blends tradition with innovation. These ceramics bring a sense of calm, authenticity, and timeless craftsmanship to any interior, making them highly valued by tea practitioners, collectors, and lovers of Japanese pottery.

Shino Pottery by Yasuo Tamaoki

Shino pottery by Yasuo Tamaoki represents a refined balance of tradition and contemporary expression within Japanese ceramic art. Characterized by thick feldspathic glazes, warm milky whites, and subtle orange hues, each piece highlights the quiet beauty of imperfection and the depth of the firing process.

Influenced by classic Mino ware, Yasuo Tamaoki’s Shino ceramics often feature soft, organic forms, gentle surface undulations, and restrained decoration. The interplay of glaze pooling, pinholes, and fire marks creates a tactile landscape that rewards close observation and daily use.

Collectors and tea enthusiasts value Shino pottery by Yasuo Tamaoki for its harmony with tea ceremony aesthetics, its comfortable feel in the hand, and its ability to age gracefully over time. Each vessel reflects a dialogue between clay, flame, and the artist’s disciplined intuition.

@buoyatea Again winner 2026 Congratulations Wu Chiu-Ling (#吳秋伶) & Buo-Ya Tea (#博雅齋) For being recognized for the 10th consecutive year.
🍃🍃
感謝您連續第十年獲得表揚。
現在是下午五點，為了慶祝您四十年來兢兢業業的奉獻，我們特地為吳先生泡了一杯茶。 🍃🍃🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉恭喜博雅齋連續第 10 年榮獲🇧🇪比利時 ITI最高殊榮三星獎 ⭐⭐⭐
四十年如一日，把一杯茶做好。🍃
紅烏龍 #鹿野 鹿野紅烏龍#ITI #ITIQ 鑽石獎 博雅齋百大青農 過年送禮 茶業傑出貢獻獎
(@吳秋伶)
Buo-Ya Tea (@博雅齋)
#SuperiorTasteAward #TasteInstitute# @SuperiorTasteAward @TasteInstitute

Eiichi Shibuya Exhibit ~ Concerto Midorigaoka Museum 一般財団法人　けやき並木・緑の杜財団〒630-0262 奈良県生駒市緑ヶ丘 1426-38 ♠️ 2731-10 Midorigaoka, Ikoma, Nara 630-0262, Giappone

Invitational exhibition of wood-fired ceramics, March 20 – April 20, 2024. Curated by John Jessiman, Resident Director of the Cub Creek Foundation. Featuring works by Rob Barnard, Randy Edmonson, Dan Finnegan, Chris Gustin, Mitch Iburg, John Jessiman, Jan McKeachie Johnston, Randy Johnston, Lindsay Oesteritter, Zoe Powell, Tim Rowan, Akira Satake, Jeff Shapiro, Hitomi Shibata, Takuro Shibata, Jack Troy, and Catherine White.

we support, paypal, swift & wise transfer, we added Revolut.

IBAN : LT743250074461465864BIC : REVOLT21

EIICHI SHIBUYA in ROME to visit Manuel Jensa & ONIHAGI

A few raw fragments captured on a mobile phone, shaped into a small appetizer while waiting—perhaps next year—to see the full documentary in which I took part yesterday. Director Kazuma Mochizuki from https://filmer.co.jp : Filmer = 映像人, together with Kenichi Nagatani from Cre-lab, Miya as interpreter, and the entire team, interviewed me and Master Eiichi Shibuya. The entire crew came from Japan, confirming how these paths so often become the backdrop for music videos, fiction, commercials, and documentaries. Filming for the documentary, part of an extraordinary project, has now been completed. Japanese efficiency at its finest (thrilling!). It was a meaningful conversation, speaking in broad terms about Hagi-yaki (Hagi pottery). Seto, Tokoname, Echizen, Shigaraki, Tanba, and Bizen are known as the Six Ancient Kilns, historic pottery centers that have preserved Japan’s traditional techniques from medieval times to the present day. Since Onihagi began, many people have emerged who believe in its potential and want to take on the challenge together to make Hagi strong again. There is deep pride in being part of this project, which aims to create something the pottery world has never seen before. Hagi is where Miwa and Deishi left their roots, and where Eiichi proudly took a step forward to keep alive all the traditions born there: in Yamaguchi, in the former Nagato Province, in Hagi. In essence, it was the same journey: traveling to Japan, then to Matsue, to Nagato-oi Station, along the old Yamaguchi road to Hagi.

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"The Cha-no-Yu, or Tea Ceremony, is an aesthetic ritual intimately linked to Zen and Daoism. Its history reveals a comingling of Chinese and Japanese …. " We strongly support Ken Jeremiah as we have proof of his sincerely intent to share his knowledge. We support pure talents & for us is a Mission.

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Introduction by Ken Jeremiah written exclusively for Onihagi.com

The World on a tea bowl "A miniature universe"

These days, the idea of "mindfulness" is praised, but it is nothing new. It is nothing more than remaining in the present, the mantra of both Zen and Daoist ideals, and the concept reflected in the art and crafts of the traditional tea ceremony. The traditional path leading to the tea house is called roji, dewey ground, and comes from a Buddhist sutra which states, "There is no peace in the three worlds; they are like a house in flames," but upon enlightenment, one "emerges from the house in flames and sits on the dewey ground." Thus, the ceremony of tea is a spiritual one, which can lead practitioners to worldly understandings.

The tea house has a small door, so small that guests have to crawl inside, thus accentuating the feeling of separation from the petty thoughts and mundane considerations of the outside world. Inside, the small tea room is bare, with nothing more than a flower vase and a hanging scroll. Referred to as the abode of the unsymmetrical, it may look imperfect, but an appreciation of its beauty allows one to live in the present, to cast away the smaller self and understand the transcendent unity of all people and all things.

The acclaimed tea master Sen no Rikyu wrote:

House and dewy ground.

Guest and host both joined as one,

Share a cup of tea.

In tranquil meditation,

No margin divides their hearts.

Among the prized objects used in the tea ceremony, none is more valued than the tea bowl, and it is said that each bowl is a miniature universe. With countless styles and refined aesthetics, all who strive to understand its beauty will find works that speak to them. Besides the sky-blue and jade-green incised Chinese bowls, the beloved red and black Japanese raku ware, and the prized Korean ido and irabo pieces, there are many other beautiful styles, such as unglazed Bizen pieces, colored by ashen deposits, and partly-glazed Shigaraki works, which highlight the natural beauty of the rough clay hidden under smooth glaze. Hagi potters often leave patches of bare clay between the thick, white glaze that covers each piece. The bare clay suggests desert sands and sometimes contains small pebbles, boulders in the miniature landscape, which are covered by a snowy white glaze that hides all imperfections and echoes the impermanence of all things. See the miniature world in each tea bowl. Their beauty facilitates mindfulness and a refined awareness of details, and will lead beholders to harmonize with their surroundings.

Dr. Ken Jeremiah

Dr. Ken Jeremiah has written extensively about history, religion, and critical thinking. His books and articles are available worldwide, has written numerous books and articles, translated various works from Spanish, Italian, and Japanese. Dr. Ken Jeremiah has written extensively about history, religion, and critical thinking. His previous books include Remnants of a Distant Past, Christian Mummification, Living Buddhas, Aikido Ground Fighting, and he teaches world language and comparative religion courses.  Is a big honour for Onihagi he took place here. And for those who really love pottery world, please enjoy knowledge.