Japanese Barley Tea: The Summer Staple Our Family Can’t Live Without

If there’s one thing that keeps our household running through a Nagoya summer, it’s mugicha — Japanese barley tea. And our family has one non-negotiable brand: Ito En.

We go through about six liters a day during the hot months. My husband takes a bottle to work for heatstroke prevention. The kids choose tea over juice every single time. And whenever we head out, the water bottles are filled with mugicha before we leave. It’s just part of how we live.

Both of my boys bring a water bottle to school every day — that’s just how it works in Japanese elementary and middle school. The night before, I always do a quick check: is there enough tea ready for the morning? On days with PE class in summer, the bigger bottle comes out. My older son’s bottle holds 1.5 liters; his younger brother’s is 1 liter. And in the height of summer, they each carry a chilled sports drink too, just to be safe.

Why Mugicha for Heatstroke Prevention?

Mugicha isn’t just a drink — it’s actually useful for staying safe in Japan’s intense summer heat. It’s completely caffeine-free, contains minerals, and is believed to help bring body temperature down. That makes it a practical everyday choice, not just a tasty one.

Cold Brew, Always

This particular Ito En mugicha can be made both cold brew and hot, but in our house it’s cold brew without question — we simply couldn’t keep up any other way. You just drop a teabag into a cold water pitcher and wait. That’s it. The result is a deeply toasty, fragrant barley flavor that’s smooth and satisfying.

Great Value Too

One bag runs about 200–300 yen and comes with 54 teabags. Compared to buying bottled drinks every day, the savings add up quickly — and a bag of teabags takes up almost no space to store. It’s one of those things that’s easy to keep stocked.

Since mugicha has no bitterness, my kids have loved it since they were little. And you can find it pretty much anywhere in Japan, from supermarkets to convenience stores.

The bag also features a few recipe ideas for variations — barley tea with milk, foamy mugicha — but I’ll be honest: my kids shot every single suggestion down. Plain tea only, please. 😅

A Drink They’ve Known Their Whole Lives

Here’s something that surprises people: mugicha is safe for babies too — from around six months old, diluted a little thinner than usual. That’s exactly how my boys were introduced to it, a small cup after bath time when they were tiny.

So for them, this isn’t just a summer drink. It’s a flavor they’ve known their entire lives. I think that’s part of why they never get tired of it — and why they trust it completely. These days, when they notice the pitcher is running low, they make a fresh batch themselves without being asked.

The same tea they drank from a bottle as babies, they now brew on their own. That’s a kind of growing up that sneaks up on you.

If you’re curious to try it at home, just note that import rules vary by country, so it’s worth checking before you buy.