Japanese Mint
Japanese Mint
Mentha canadensis var. piperascens
“The herb of Kitami”
| Species | Mentha canadensis var. piperascens |
|---|---|
| Family | Lamiaceae |
| Part used | Terrestrial part (stem and leaf) |
| Aroma | Intensely cooling, from l-menthol |
What is Japanese mint?
Japanese mint (Mentha canadensis var. piperascens) is a perennial in the mint family, said to originate in East Asia and found from Hokkaido to Kyushu. Cut at flowering in autumn and dried in the shade, it becomes "hakka"; the leaves alone are "hakka-yo." The Japanese Pharmacopoeia lists three entries — Mentha Herb (Menthae Herba), Mentha Oil (Oleum Menthae Japonicae) and Mentha Water — and specifies that the oil contains not less than 30.0% menthol. The Japanese name already appears in the tenth-century Wamyosho, and the Edo-period Ippondo Yakusen records that it “refreshes the mouth, and is washed onto lacquer rash as an external application.” Among the Pharmacopoeia's extract monographs it appears in kami-shoyo-san and bofu-tsusho-san.
Kitami and mint
In the 1930s Japan held roughly 70% of the world mint market, and Kitami in Hokkaido was its centre. Production fell away quickly after mint imports were liberalised in 1971, and the Kitami mint factory closed in 1983. The Kitami Mint Memorial Museum, on the former site, tells that history.
Added to the löyly water, most often as a few drops of mint oil; some venues feature it in summer.
There is a custom of putting still-fragrant dried mint in a cloth bag in the bath, said to have been turned to for stiff shoulders and aching muscles, and mint oil is blended into bath products.
Note: this page introduces the traditions and culture around the plant. It does not guarantee any effect.