THE “KIKUSUI” NAME ORIGINATES FROM A CLASSICAL NOH PLAY ABOUT ETERNAL YOUTH.
The name “Kikusui” is the combination of two words “Kiku” (菊) which means chrysanthemum, and “Sui” (水) which means water. The name originates from a Noh play, a traditional form of Japanese art, “Kikujido” which was based on the 13 volumes of “Taiheiki” a chronicle of medieval Japan. In one of its verses, it tells a story which goes, “Once upon a time, a subject of ‘Buntei’ the emperor of Wei, was given an order to go into the mountains in quest for the fountain of youth. There, the subject meets a mountain hermit whose age is no less than 700 years old.
The hermit turned out to be ‘Jidou’ who served for king ‘Keiou’ of Zhou 700 years ago. He was banished to this mountain for infuriating the king and ever since, has been transcribing parts of a sutra, passed on to him in pity by the king, onto a chrysanthemum leaf, so that he would not forget it. By drinking the dew that formed on the leaf of the chrysanthemum he was able to live as long as he has…” The name “Kikusui” was derived from the belief that the water, “SUI” from the chrusanthemum “KIKU” brought eternal youth. This was registered as a trademark in Japan in 1910 so has a history spanning over 100 years.
