Many of you who are learning Japanese language or knows some basic Japanese words must have heard of "Kimochiii"気持ちいい. It is an expression for "It's nice and comfortable". Today, we will teach you a very similar word "kimochi" with one "i". 気持ち
We are all very used to shopping at large supermarkets, department stores, shopping malls and Amazon. And we are now moving more towards humanless and touchless shopping experience. Do you still frequent local small shops or farmer's market where human interaction and customer relations plays a bigger part in your shopping experience?
While you chit chat with the butcher or the fruit seller, sometimes you get special cuts of meat or an extra apple. In Japan, when you shop at small local shops, it is common that the shop owners would round-up your tab, or give you extra goodies whether a piece of sweet or a small present. When visiting Japanese artisans, we often get small spoons, chopsticks, even cups and plates as a token of appreciation. I remember once in Wajima, a town known for lacquer crafts, the Ojichan restaurant owner actually shoved me 10 pairs of wood chopsticks!
Yes, the word of the day "Kimochi", stands for token of appreciation, or a small gift of gratitude. It is a noun for the little gift that the shop owner gives you, to thank you for visiting or making a purchase. So next time, if you hear "kimochi desu", it doesn't mean the store keeper is telling you he/she is feeling comfortable. It means "Here's a little gift to show our gratitude. This would also be said when they round-up your tab to whole numbers, or offer you an unannounced discount. This "kimochi" will definitely makes you very "kimochii".
We want to show our appreciation for your support of a tiny business in Japan purely driven by passion to tell authentic craft stories. This Holiday season, all purchases direct from www.goenne.com between Thanksgiving weekend to the end of December will receive a "kimochi" from us: a sencha green tea bag from Yame. Each packet has a different message of "kimochi", see if you can figure out the meaning of them! (Oh, and don't forget to use the discount coupon we sent to all subscribers on Thanksgiving weekend, check your mail!)
Most people know Japanese green tea from Uji Kyoto. This time, give Yame green tea a try. It is award-winning tea and the pride of Kyushu. The signature of Yame green tea is the vibrant green tone and the sweet after-taste.
The cream of the crop of Yame tea is called "gyokuro" which has high level of umami flavor. For fans of Japanese green tea, we are adding premium Yame gyokuro loose leaf tea to our 2023 Holiday gift set, so watch for them in the coming few days while you do your holiday gift shopping.
Thank you for all the wonderful support, enjoy the "kimochi"! What other "kimochi" have you gotten from your favorite shops?
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