2nd GJTea Anniversary

On 31st January we are turning two! The first few years as a new organization are never easy. With the pandemic ravaging the world, last year proved especially bumpy. However, guided by the mission to bring new growth into the Japanese tea world through global collaboration, our team could not let the hands down and pushed to work even harder.

This year we aim to continue and expand our core activities focused on community building, information sharing and education. Since last year we have started publishing monthly Japanese tea reports that provide an overview of the Japanese tea situation and introduce trending topics of the time. Building a closer connection with Japan Tea Central Organisation, that has over 130 years of history as the core Japanese tea industry organisation, we believe we will be able to share more in-depth and insightful information about Japanese tea.

In terms of education, last year some of our programs were greatly affected by the pandemic, but it also gave start to some new programs, like the Japanese Tea Foundation Course online. This year we are planning to continue and expand our online education programs (Japanese Tea Intermediate Course online is coming soon!). And of course, as soon as the pandemic is tamed and it is safe to travel again, we are planning to restart our in-person education programs, such as the Japanese Tea Master Course.

Our global Japanese tea community (you!) is the backbone of our association, so this year we are aiming to involve more tea producers from different regions of Japan as well as more tea professionals and enthusiasts around the world. As meeting in person remains difficult, we are planning to continue most of the activities online, including Member Tea Gatherings and Meet the Tea Farmer events.

While we have many plans and ideas, none of it would be possible without you. We are really grateful for your continued support and are really excited to begin our third year together with you!

Simona Suzuki
The President of the GJTea