May is usually a really busy time for Japanese tea. While some prefectures were in the full swing of harvesting first flush tea (一番茶), Kagoshima prefecture had already started harvesting second flush (二番茶) in the middle of May; and the tea reached Shizuoka tea auction on 21st May. However, except for high grade and shaded […]
To emphasize the world-wide economic and cultural significance of tea, at the end of last year the United Nations designated 21st May as the International Tea Day. Tea cultivation and processing is the main source of income to many families around the world. Some of the biggest tea producing countries, however, are among the poorest […]
April is usually an exciting month for Japanese tea, as that’s when some of the first tea of the year is produced. This year, however, the mood has been a little grim, because of the spread of COVID-19. The tea sales in major cities of Japan have been sluggish and many farmers are worried if […]
We are now calling the first 100 Pioneer Members! Our membership program is at the core of our organisation. It plays the key role towards fulfilling our mission to spark new growth in the Japanese tea world through global collaboration. We believe that by coming together we can address various domestic and international challenges Japanese […]
“The new tea season is here, limited stock only!” and so just as spring comes to full bloom, one cannot miss seeing announcements of fresh tea arrivals sprouting everywhere from their favorite Japanese tea shops around the world. Japanese fresh spring tea, Shincha (jp. 新茶) is truly special. Anticipated by tea connoisseurs around the globe, […]
Dear tea lover friends, you are probably reading these lines sitting at your desk or on your sofa at home, and you might have had several cups of tea since the early morning. Perhaps you also opened the cupboard where you store your selection and sighed as you gazed upon the Christmas limited edition from […]
Red Tea from Japan: that is the exact translation of Wakoucha. But we in Europe call it a black tea, and for us black tea comes from India or China or Sri Lanka, not from Japan. And in a nation where the production of green tea is so dominant that for the biggest part of […]
Miho museum in Shiga recently had a Bizenyaki exhibition. Bizen in Okayama prefecture is one of the 6 oldest kilns in Japan – pottery has been made here for over 600 years. Traditionally Bizen wares are fired unglazed in wood burning kilns. Because of that the result is slightly rough texture and primitive earthy colours […]