2017 Summer in Japan and Korea: Tea with a friend

I consider myself extraordinarily lucky to have great friends around the world. There are few greater joys than to see old friends in the excitement of travel.

The joy is magnified when the friend is a fellow 茶人.

This was just my experience visiting Tokyo and Emily Huang. Emily – this post is dedicated to you.

Emily gleefully (I hope) allowed me to colonize her time, meeting me the afternoon that I flew in, taking me out for beeru and nihonshu, and trusting my non-local restaurant recommendations. Emily is a good friend.

We made a chaxi together in yoyogi park by the lake. I brought a tea that was special to me – a 2012 hungshui I purchased in Taiwan on my last visit to Asia. It was like homecoming tea. If home was half a world a way for years at a time.

We also learned to play (a single note) on the Shamisen, a traditional Japanese guitar like instrument.

Our single note sang so sweet that they asked us to join their band!

Experiences like these are what friends are for. Emily – thank you for everything.