By SHIMPEI WAKAMATSU/ Staff Writer
April 19, 2020 at 18:43 JST
Sake drinkers at first see only a cherry tree with empty branches adorning their cup.
But as cold sake is poured, they watch cherry flowers appear and bloom one by one, as if by magic.
It's not the effects of the alcohol that has drinkers seeing things, but a special cup made by Marumo Takagi Toki, a ceramic ware company based in Taijimi, Gifu Prefecture.
The Mino ware product is a big hit, particularly after authorities urged people to refrain from flocking to parks for cherry blossom viewing in light of the spread of the new coronavirus.
Cherry flowers appear as a special colorant that changes depending on the temperature is used to depict the tree. But cold sake is not needed to make them bloom. If the temperature of any drink drops to at least 17 degrees, a cherry blossom can be expected.
“We could come up with flowers of great color after trying various methods of painting flowers and a range of temperatures to make ceramics,” said Masaharu Takagi, president of Marumo Takagi Toki. “I hope customers will find solace as they watch flowers blossom in a cup in their hands."
A pair of the cups, Reikan Zakura, was introduced to the market on Feb. 1 at 3,300 yen ($30.55), including tax.
Soon, the product became popular on Facebook and among the drinking community. It also attracted great attention among Twitter users in the middle of March.
When the government called on people not to flood parks with sakura trees in the fight against the virus, its popularity further swelled.
The product sold out as soon as the maker put on them on sale on its website.
Purchasers are grateful to the manufacturer for offering the intricate cups, according to Marumo Takagi Toki.
“I could enjoy cherry blossom viewing indoors,” said a purchaser.
Another said: “I gave the cups as a gift to my friends overseas who could not come to Japan.”
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A Reikan Zakura cup with a cherry flower tree produces masses of flowers if cold rice wine is poured. (From a video provided by Marumo Takagi Toki)
