With the arrival of October, this week’s tokonoma alcove at our Gojo shop features Hototogisu (toad lily), an autumn tea flower, arranged in a sometsuke tokkuri—a blue-and-white porcelain sake bottle decorated with a map of Japan.

Hototogisu is named for the purple spots on its petals, which are said to resemble the markings on the breast of the Japanese cuckoo, hototogisu. One of the flowers that symbolizes autumn in Japan, it has long been appreciated as a chabana, or seasonal flower used in the tea ceremony.

With its natural, understated beauty, Hototogisu brings a quiet sense of autumn to the tea room.

In the clear, refreshing air of October in Kyoto, why not take a moment to slow down and refresh yourself with a traditional Japanese tea experience?