Peppermint Day (Pepāminto no Hi)

What Is Peppermint Day?

June 20 is "Peppermint Day" (Pepāminto no Hi) in Japan. It was established in 1987 by the Kitami City Town Development Study Group in Kitami, Hokkaido, a city known for its mint (hakka). The 20th comes from a wordplay: "hatsuka" (the 20th day) sounds like "hakka" (Japanese mint). June was chosen because the refreshing feel of Hokkaido at this time of year is just like mint itself. The aim is to promote mint.

Kitami, the "Mint Town"

Kitami was once known as one of the world's leading mint-producing areas.

• About 70% of the world market: Mint cultivation began in the Kitami area around the turn of the 20th century. At its peak in 1939, Kitami is said to have accounted for about 70% of the world mint market.
• Mint oil and menthol crystals: Mint oil, distilled from the plant, and menthol crystals (hakka-nō) extracted by cooling the oil were important exports for flavoring and medicinal use. Production later declined as synthetic menthol spread.

The Kitami Mint Memorial Museum and the Peppermint Festival

Kitami has the "Kitami Hakka Memorial Museum," housed in a building constructed in 1935 as the research laboratory of the Kitami mint factory, which tells the story of the city's mint industry. A "Peppermint Festival" has also been held on a Sunday close to Peppermint Day, and the city has a "Hakka Park" with its own mint fields.

Interesting Facts About Peppermint

• Peppermint and spearmint: Peppermint is considered a hybrid of spearmint and watermint. It contains a lot of menthol, which gives it a strong cooling sensation.
• Japanese mint: The mint grown in Kitami was mainly Japanese mint (Nihon hakka), a relative of European peppermint in the same genus of the mint family.
• Why it feels cool: Menthol acts on the cold-sensing receptors (TRPM8) in skin and mucous membranes, so you feel coolness even though the temperature has not actually dropped.
• A herb used East and West: In the West it has long been used in herbal teas, and in East Asia the dried leaves and stems have been used as the herbal medicine "hakka."
• Mint Day is separate: Thanks to a "mi (3) - n-to (10)" wordplay, March 10 is known as "Mint Day" in Japan.

Ideas for Peppermint Day

• Take a short break with mint tea or mint sweets.
• Put a little mint oil on a handkerchief or mask to enjoy the scent (dilute it before putting it on skin).
• Learn about the history of Kitami mint and how Japan once supplied much of the world's mint.
• Compare the scents of peppermint and spearmint.

A Breath of Coolness From Mint Grown in Northern Japan

June 20 is a day to enjoy the freshness of mint along with the history of Kitami's mint industry. On a humid rainy-season day, try switching your mood with a hint of mint.