The Tea Shop in Kyoto

On a trip to Kyoto, I wandered down a narrow alley in the rain and found a tiny tea shop with six seats. It was run by an elderly woman who didn't speak English and a very fat orange cat who sat on the counter.

She served me matcha in a bowl that was older than my grandmother. She showed me, with gentle hand gestures, how to turn the bowl before drinking. She gave me a small sweet shaped like a maple leaf. The cat watched the whole thing with tremendous dignity.

I sat there for an hour, listening to the rain on the roof and the soft clink of her dishes. Nobody else came in. I didn't want to leave.

When I finally paid, she bowed deeply and handed me a little paper crane. I bowed back. The cat yawned. It's been a year. I still have the crane, and I still think about that hour all the time.