Identification needed!

[telophase]

So while in Japan, I apparently purchased or stole or whatever a packet of packets of ... something. I assumed it was tea, from the drawing of a tea cup steaming merrily away on the outer package, and therefore that it was for the boy (who is a tea snob), but when we opened one of the smaller packets, it ... didn't seem like it. It seemed more like a packet of spices than tea. But what do I know? Hrm. I just have no memory whatsoever of acquiring it.

So here's a couple of blurry photos, taken with the boy's new toy, er, iPhone, one of the large outer packet and one of a smaller sheet of Japanese text that came with it. The smaller sheet of Japanese text is way too blurry to read, but I just want to know if it looks like it might be instructions or a recipe or something like that, because if it is, I can scan it and post a much better copy.

ETA: Given to me! Probably by m00nface, as it's from Kanazawa! Why I can't remember the gifts she gave me, I have NO IDEA and I feel horrible about that. Check the comments for more info on it. :)

Comments

[badnoodles.livejournal.com]

Looks like instant soup to me, rather than tea.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Which is odd, because why would I buy instant soup? Is it a specialty of some region we were in? Did someone give it to me as a gift? (And if so, why can' I remember that? :/)

[greenapple2004.livejournal.com]

It says tea, although it may be some weird blend, including gold-something! It's apparently from Kanazawa, and they put gold flecks in the tea there sometimes (the "gold-something" looks like a pun on "gold-dust" and "happiness" which is why I can't be more precise. :-) Puns are hard...).

Either way, it's a tea-like beverage of some sort, and it's safe to drink. :-) It will bring you wealth and happiness, supposedly! I could tell you more if the back of the package wasn't so blurry, but, well... that's something, at least. If it's in a single-serve packet, you can probably just dump it in a cup of hot water and go from there.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Ah! If it's from Kanazawa, it must be from m00nface! Why I can't remember the stuff she gave me, I have NO idea, probably because I'm losing braincells or something. I feel bad about that.

Thank you! I'll scan the instructions tomorrow, if I remember. XD

[solarbird]

I'm very confused by bit with Tsubuku (a family name?) in it.

[greenapple2004.livejournal.com]

Where are you getting the Tsubuku from? Can you read the back better than I can? :-)

[solarbird]

Where are you getting the Tsubuku from?
Front, rightmost column. Tsubuku seems to be a family name and I can't find any other readings for it. But my kanji sk1lz are puny and weak.

[greenapple2004.livejournal.com]

If you mean this one: 金箔, it's "kinpaku," meaning "gold leaf." :-)

[solarbird]

No, it's... I can't even get my IME to come up with it. The one right below 一 in the rightmost column of the front page.

[oyceter]

Oh, the "tsu" is a small "tsu," so it should be "ippuku."

[solarbird]

OH

durr. okay. (it didn't look small to me. but i have problems with that in vertical text.) thanks ^_^;;

[oyceter]

Hee, no problem ;).

[greenapple2004.livejournal.com]

It's extra confusing because that's one of the puns, too. :-) "一服" (ippuku) means a dose, or a bit of something, and can be used to mean "a short coffee/tea break" or the like, but they're swapping out the "huku" part for the character for good fortune . Ooooh.

If "doucha" is some special kind of tea, I've never heard of it.

[oyceter]

I have no idea if this extra info is helpful, but the two biggest labels on the bag are "Ippuku dou cha" and "Kinpuku cha." Anyway, it is very lucky, because "fuku/puku" is luck/good fortune/the kanji everyone pastes everywhere for Chinese New Year. Also, it's definitely some kind of tea, since it says "tea" three times on the thing.

Either that, or they are woefully misleading you!

[arkanefyre.livejournal.com]

I'm going to echo was everyone said. I can't read everything. I can read kanji, because it is just Chinese, but not hiragana and katakana.

Anyhow. The steamning cup at the the right says "TEA", and the oval backgrounds are drawings of gold nuggets.

The word "gold" appears four times, "tea" three times, and "luck" or "good fortune" appears three times as well.

Which makes me believe that the packed has to do with tea with gold that is supposed to bring good fortune. XD

[arkanefyre.livejournal.com]

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