2025 has been our third time to organize Japanese Tea Conference and the Kyoto edition took place on the 26th July. This year’s program was expanded even more and consisted of three key parts: a showcase of innovative tea projects in Japan, an overview of the global Japanese tea landscape, and a tea party that fostered connections between speakers and attendees.
The event opened with a welcome address, followed by presentations from three Japanese Tea Innovators. Serika Tsuji form AOBEAT, introduced her work in creating outdoor tea terraces – chanoma, that encourage people to enjoy tea in beautiful tea settings. Takashi Ikka, Associate Professor at Shizuoka University, shared his research on tea plant DNA, which promises to significantly shorten the time required to develop new tea cultivars. Lastly, Yoichi Kourogi, a tea farmer from Miyazaki and president of Ryokuheni Chaen, spoke about his pioneering efforts to push the northern limit of tea cultivation by planting in Hokkaido.
Following these inspiring talks, a tea party offered attendees the chance to speak directly with the presenters while enjoying a curated selection of teas. In addition to presenter booths, Japanese university students from the Japanese Tea Evangelist program hosted three booths, and interacting with the guests.
After a refreshing tea break, the focus shifted to the international stage with presentations from three Tea Catalysts active in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Viktoryia Toma of Ikkigai-shu shared her efforts to promote Japanese tea in the UAE and the growing interest she has observed there. Janice Chan from Teakan.co join the conference online and highlighted the rising matcha and hojicha trends in Canada. Then Cinzia Merlin from the Tea Circle in Belgium, who also joined the conference online, shared how education programs are fueling interest in Japanese tea in her region.
The program continued with presentations by university students from the Japanese Tea Evangelist program. Three students from the 2024 class reported on their tea activities during study abroad programs in Italy, France, and China. Then eleven students from the 2025 class introduced the destinations they will visit this autumn. Notably, the work of past Tea Evangelists has led to the creation of a student-led tea organization called Socie-tea, giving conference participants a change to learn about their activities through the past year.
The event was a vibrant exchange of ideas, stories, and new connections centered around Japanese tea. We are deeply grateful for the enthusiasm and look forward to welcoming everyone again at next year’s Japanese Tea Conferences.