Special Edition: Coffee in Japan

I (Sheila) was lucky enough to take a respite from caring for my 98 year old mother recently to take  a trip to Japan with friends.  Most of us assume that because Japan is famous for its love of tea and the whole ceremony surrounding the making of tea, that coffee is not too popular there. Well, think again!  I was surprised to find many coffee places there, both in the big cities and small towns.  Only one of the hotels we stayed in had coffee in the room, though, which was made with a rather strange little packet that had to be unfolded and set into the mug by means of "wings" which held onto the edge, then water heated in a carafe was pored over it, making the coffee. Very Origami-like and it was good, too!  Breakfast in the hotels was always buffet style, and coffee was readily available.  Coffee aside, I would highly recommend visiting Japan if you can. It is clean, friendly, and so interesting. We were fortunate enough to be there during the one week a year that the cherry trees are in bloom, making this trip even more enjoyable.  Here are a few pictures of Japanese coffee shops...

Coffee made with sacred water!  Yes!

Tully's is a chain coffee shop.

Of course!

You can even get hot or cold coffee out of a vending machine.

I'm not sure if I did it right, but this was how coffee in the hotel room was made.  Even a little tray to put the used drip bag in!

A cup of happiness and precious time!

Don't know what "Living Coffee" is!

I had to take a picture of this one!

 Think About It: Take time for yourself every now and then. It will benefit everyone around you, as well as yourself.