Tea at 3PM: When Japan Reinvented Afternoon Tea in 1900s

Why did afternoon tea become part of everyday life in modern Japan? A 1909 illustration by Takehisa Yumeji depicts a simple tea setting at three o’clock, blending Japanese objects with changing ideas about time. Explore the rise of osanji-cha, the influence of Meiji-era routines and the quiet design details that make this ordinary pause historically revealing.