Steeping the soul.
Bert in lotus pose, sunglasses on, meditating inside a Japanese tea cup with bamboo and steam curling upward. Kanji on each side. The piece that started the series — the one that set the tone for everything that followed. Quiet. Still. Perfectly brewed.
The Design Story
This is the mug that started the entire Steeping the Soul series. Bert sits in lotus pose inside a Japanese tea cup — bamboo painted on the side, a 茶 (tea) stamp on the front, white steam rising around him in soft curls. He’s not drinking. He’s steeping. There’s a difference. One is consumption. The other is transformation.
The kanji flanking the art splits the phrase across two sides: 心を on the left (the soul, the heart) and 蒸らす on the right (to steep, to let sit, to infuse). Together: “steeping the soul.” The split is intentional — Japanese reads vertically, and the kanji sits tall alongside the cup like calligraphy on a scroll. Below the art: “Steeping The Soul” in English and the brand line in katakana. Cool green tones, white steam, absolute stillness. If the Mexican mug sings, the Puerto Rican mug tells stories, and the Ethiopian mug prays — this one whispers. See all Coffee Mugs →
Craft & Details
Bert says: Zen is easy when you’re sitting in a hot cup.
Perfect for tea lovers, zen seekers, and anyone who brews in silence
Mug Details & Sizing
15 oz white ceramic mug — the daily driver size.
Print & Material
About the Kanji
The phrase 心を蒸らす (kokoro wo murasu) translates to “steeping the soul.” It’s split across the mug the way Japanese calligraphy is traditionally displayed — vertically, read from right to left.
Together, the phrase suggests that brewing isn’t just about the drink — it’s about what happens inside you while you wait.
About the Steeping the Soul Series
A world coffee tour — one culture, one vessel, one language at a time. Each mug in the series features Bert meditating inside a traditional coffee vessel from a different corner of the world, with text in the native language and a color palette inspired by the culture.
