Japanese Fan Sensu [扇子]

In this post I'd like to talk about Sensu [扇子] or Japanese Fan!


Although not as common as once was, Sensu is still loved and used by many Japanese People.
Its purpose is not limited to just fanning yourself when it's hot but it also servs as an important part of accesories for Japanese Men and Women alike.


There are many variations of Sensu in materials they are made of and in their size.
Some are made of Washi [和紙] that is paper. Others bamboo.


There are many beautiful designs of Sensu. Some have the painting of cherry blossom, bamboo, mountains, or geisha girls.


Women's fan tend to have colors such as white, pink, ivory, and men's grey, black and white also.


Typical men's fan

Typical Women's fan

As you can see it is shaped like a sector of a circle and is mounted on slats which revolve around a pivot so that it can be closed when not in use.


Sensu Closed

Some people use Sensu purely for home decoration with the sensu stand.
I personally do this myself too and it really adds flavor to your room. It's entertaining to the guests and adds accent to your coffee table!


Example of a Sensu Stand

There are so many designs and so many ways to use Sensu. How you would use it is really up to you!

If you would like to enjoy this beautiful Sensu please email me or visit my ebay page.

Japanese Sencha Green Tea [日本のお茶 煎茶]

Japanese people are known for their longevity. Some attribute it to their genes. Others to their life styles and diets.

But some think that the secret lies with their daily consumption of Ocha. Yes Green Tea! Especially one called "Sencha"

What is Sencha and why is it so good for you? What are some of the health benefit of Green Tea?

First of all there are different kind of Green Tea. Some are called Sencha as mentioned. Others are called Macha. Hojicha, Gyokuro, the list goes on and on.

What are the differences? The differences lies in the way these tea leaves are grown and how they are processed.

In this post I want to talk about Sencha. Sencha is the most popular type of green tea in Japan and about 80-90% of the Green Tea that are consumed are Sencha. When they say Ocha it normally means this "everyday tea", Sencha.

Sencha is grown being exposed to direct sun light as opposed to Gyokuro which is hidden from the sun light. Sencha is the first and second flush of the Green Tea.

Now I want to talk about why Green Tea is good for you. The Green Tea is rich in Catechin. Catechin is a natural phenol antioxidant plant secondary metabolite. Because of this Green Tea has that bitter taste which is refreshing to a lot of people.

Sencha which is the first and second flush of the Green Tea contains the most amount of Catechin. Catechin gets oxidated very quickly. However because of the way Sencha is processed, the function of the oxidase is considerably suppressed thus Sencha is not oxidated. This is why oolong tea and other regular western tea, it has that brownish or reddish color because the Oxide Polymer is produced due to oxidation. And because of that oxidation, Catechin that is normally transparent or has no color turns into red or brown. But Green Tea that is rich with anti-oxidant stays green or transparent because no oxidation took place.

Sencha's Catechin or the antioxidant is said to be very effective in killing germs so many Japanese people gargle their mouth and throat with Sencha to prevent catching cold. 

Sencha[煎茶] made and packaged in Shizuoka Japan.

Shizuoka is known for producing Japan's highest quality Green Tea.

Label on the package.

It is vacuum sealed to maintain maximum freshness.

If you'd like to enjoy high quality authentic Japanese Sencha,

please email me or visit my ebay page.

More post on interesting Japanese items are coming so please follow my blog and check back!