We were excited to return to the Berlin Tea Festival this year for its 5th edition, and we enjoyed every moment of it. Among the many captivating workshops, talks, tea tastings, and events, we were particularly pleased to see so many dedicated to Japanese tea. It was also a great opportunity to reconnect with both familiar faces and new friends, including several members of GJTea and even two students from our “Japanese Tea Evangelists” program. Sharing time together and savoring wonderful teas made the experience truly special.
The festival took place from November 22nd to 24th at the stunning Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche in Berlin, Germany. It kicked off on Friday with the “Berlin Tea Conference,” aimed at tea professionals. Kazuko Otsuka, founder of Wanoka Tea, gave an insightful talk on wakoucha production in Kumamoto Prefecture and their collaboration with the regional government to revitalize the area. She was joined by Toshihiro Kajihara: they had travelled all the way from Japan for the tea festival!
Saturday marked the main event, where visitors could explore a diverse selection of tea vendors and teaware artists. There was an excellent range of Japanese teas available, including the ever-present Keiko Teas, the matcha-focused Aiya, as well as high-quality offerings from Yoshi En and KOS. “T” magazine, a German publication now also available in English, had a stand where attendees could purchase their latest issues focused on Japan, including one about Kagoshima and another about matcha. A very pleasant surprise was also seeing Unearthed Gallery stand advertising their next exhibition that will feature our Tea Fellow Kyle Whittington and his shifuku art – it will be on from the 7th to the 14th of December in Munich and Kyle will be at the opening doing tea ceremonies.
For us, the highlight was reconnecting with familiar faces who had traveled from Japan, including Kajihara-san and the team from Wanoka Tea in Kumamoto, who were promoting their “Minamata Wakoucha.” With the help of Berlin-based Japanese tea instructor Yumi Tanabe, their stand was always bustling with visitors eager to sample and purchase their teas.
Among the workshops offered, there was one on gyokuro by Yoshi En, another on matcha preparation and its health benefits by Aiya, and a session on theanine in green teas by Keiko. Additionally, Tee Kontor Kiel and Marimo presented a fascinating session that included a tea tasting, featuring their video documentary series “Faces Behind the Tea.” This series offers unique perspectives from tea producers across various regions in Japan and is available on their YouTube channel.
We couldn’t miss the chance to give a presentation about our association at the festival, this time focusing on innovators and inspiring figures within the Japanese tea scene. While the decline of the tea industry in Japan is a serious issue, we continue to see sparks of passion and creativity emerging in various corners, shaping the future of Japanese tea. Around 25 people attended our talk and enjoyed the teas we prepared. Two of our dear Tea Fellow members, Lilia and Norman, did an excellent job brewing the teas and assisting behind the scenes. We served three distinct teas, each with a unique story, from three different towns, all grown without the use of pesticides or fertilizers. The first tea was a dark roast hojicha made from bancha leaves harvested from 70-year-old bushes by Hattori Tsugoto in Higashiyoshino, Nara prefecture. This young tea farmer is known for his experimentation, also producing wakoucha and white tea. The second tea was an unusual kamairicha scented with tea flowers from Mitocha Farm in Yamazoe Village, Nara prefecture. This farm focuses on pan-fired teas and is known for their innovative approach to tea production, alongside their more traditional offerings like sencha. The third tea was a sencha from DOIT!FARM! in Kamo, Kyoto prefecture. The young owner started to work in tea about 10 years ago as a seasonal worker until he decided he wanted to also have his own tea farm. He now enjoys experimenting with tea production, including making wakoucha.
We ended the fantastic day with a dinner gathering among some of our members. It was such a pleasure to spend time together!
On Sunday, the tea festival expanded into side events across the city. “Faces Behind the Tea” was screened at a cinema, accompanied by a tasting featuring teas from each of the five producers featured in the series. Japanese tea ceremonies were held at Teefeinkost TAN, and Keiko Tee gave a talk on how cultivars, harvest timing, and tea processing affect theanine levels in green teas.
Artist Yurika Saito led a workshop on dyeing fabric with tea leaves using traditional Japanese techniques. Yoshi En held a surprise event at a stunning venue overlooking the River Spree, just beside the East Side Gallery, offering tea cuppings and an endless tasting experience. Japanese tea instructor Kazuko Otsuka of Wanoka led a workshop focused on black teas from Minamata, where participants tasted four different wakoucha paired with local sweets from her region. Toshihiro Kajihara gave a presentation on his farm and teas, offering a tasting of kamairicha and wakoucha made from the same cultivar and tea field.
We were thrilled to see such a rich offering of Japanese teas at this beautiful festival. Above all, it was heartwarming to experience the warm and welcoming atmosphere throughout the weekend, with tea lovers from all over the world coming together in celebration.
Here’s to the next tea festival!
* A special thank you goes to our members that shared their photos with us: Lilia Hanson, Anastasia Shif, Irina Mastacaneanu and Alexander Dubovoy.