This month, we are turning our attention to Onocha (小野茶), a unique tea from Yamaguchi Prefecture (山口県). As September arrives and summer vacations come to an end —at least for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere— it's a good time to reflect on vacations and travelling.

Photo courtesy of the producer, Yamaguchi Chagyō.

Forgotten Road

Let's start our journey by a local anecdote mentioning an ancient travel road which connected Edo (江戸) (modern-day Tokyo) to Kyūshū (九州), naturally passing through what is now Yamaguchi Prefecture. Yamaguchi is located at the western edge of Honshū (本州), the main island of Japan, just north of the island of Kyūshū.

This road was a lifeline for merchants, samurai, and travelers moving between Kyūshū and Honshū, especially under the Tokugawa shogunate’s Sankin Kōtai (参覲交代) policy, which required feudal lords to regularly journey to Edo. Traversing mountainous terrain, the road was known for its breathtaking landscapes, but also for the challenges it posed, particularly during harsh winters when heavy snow would blanket the region.

The road's geographical challenges gave rise to a humorous local legend: during a particularly severe snowfall, the road was completely buried and seemingly disappeared for several days. Travelers, unable to continue their journey, joked that the road had "gone on vacation."

Photo courtesy of the producer, Yamaguchi Chagyō.

Vacations: a European Perspective

When I was a kid in my hometown (in the north-east of France, near Luxembourg and Germany), it was unthinkable to have a swimming pool or air conditioner at home. With a summer lasting a few weeks at most, it would have been pointless. Climate change is rapidly changing this situation, but the tradition of taking a few weeks of vacation each summer to escape the gray sky remains deeply rooted in our culture.

Japan, of course, has a very different tradition of much, much shorter summer vacations. Most people have only a few days off, often during the Obon season in mid-August. Instead of long trips, many Japanese opt for short visits, or simply return to their hometowns to spend time with family. These brief vacations are focused on rest and reconnecting with loved ones, making the most of the limited time available.

Living in Japan, I’ve adapted to the tradition of short vacations — far too short, if you ask me. So, in early August, my family and I headed to Yamaguchi Prefecture, but only for a single night. To our surprise, good friends of ours stayed at the exact same hotel just a few days before us! None of us knew the other was going — Japan really is a small world.

Bridge to the island of Tsunoshima (角島)

Brewing Onocha

To prepare Onocha, the amount of tea used should be adjusted according to your preferred taste. Generally, it's recommended to use around 1 teaspoon (2 grams) of Onocha for 100ml (3.4oz) of spring water. The tea should be steeped in water at 65ºC (150ºF) for 45 seconds. For subsequent infusions, you can increase both steeping time and water temperature.

Enjoy!