The concept of Shun encourages us to be present and appreciate every moment from season to season – and this especially comes into its own during the summer months.

From snaffling that last-minute concert ticket to escaping to the coast on a whim, a Shun summer requires us to step away from the smartphones and live in the moment, whether that’s feeling the salty sea on our skin, bathing in the dappled evening light of a forest glade or dancing with abandon in a muddy field.

Like the cherry blossoms that bloom fleetingly in Japan’s many spring gardens during Hanami, living a more Shun life allows us to embrace and celebrate the year’s natural shifts and transitions. Yes, even if that means crouching under an umbrella as the rain soaks through your picnic blanket – you’ll never be more alive than in this exact moment, so enjoy every second of it.

The Japanese have a huge appreciation for each season’s moment of peak freshness and vibrancy, and summer is one of the best times to let these flavours and smells overwhelm your senses, whether that’s the smell of freshly cut grass or the sweet taste of just-picked strawberries. This concept of harvesting flavours at their peak seasonality is also what lies at the heart of Roku Gin.

Crafted by Japanese artisans with a meticulous attention to detail, Roku Gin is a perfect blend of fresh and floral flavours, achieved by balancing six unique Japanese botanicals – including Sakura flower, Sakura leaf, Sencha tea, Gyokuro tea, Sansho pepper, and Yuzu peel – with eight traditional gin botanicals. Using the concept of Shun, these botanicals are harvested when they are at optimum freshness to capture the vibrancy of each individual flavour.

Enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or served with tonic, this gin is the perfect accompaniment to living a Shun summer. Mixologist tip? Add sliced ginger to a Roku Gin and tonic for a delicious twist on the traditional.

Summer is always elevated by the people we share it with. From shared holidays to long evenings spent in the park, spending time with friends is a huge part of what can make the warmer months so special.

In fact, it was friendship that brought director and filmaker Sofia Coppola and actor Elle Fanning together for the exclusive Roku Gin campaign vignette that celebrates Shun through a combination of nature-inspired imagery and storytelling. 

“Working alongside my friend Sofia again to showcase the beautiful concept of Shun through our Roku Gin ‘Come Alive with the Seasons’ project has been particularly special to me,” says Fanning when asked about her attachment to the project.

And, friendship in itself is intertwined with the idea of Shun. Sharing these one-off moments with those closest to us embodies the whole ethos of feeling connected to the world, which is so important in this increasingly digital landscape. So call your pals, get outside and start living your very best Shun summer…