Membership

Membership Program

Japanese tea is facing many challenges domestically, including shifting habits of consumption and decreasing production. On the other hand, its popularity is growing internationally, but for many people it is still difficult to find authentic Japanese tea or accurate information about it.

At the Global Japanese Tea Association, we recognize these challenges on both sides: inside and outside of Japan, and believe that we can address them if we collaborate together around the globe.

Our membership program is at the core of our association and the key to this goal. It enables current and aspiring tea professionals as well as tea lovers to connect with each other, learn from one another and grow together regardless of distance.

By becoming a member, you can access the latest information, make valuable connections, and find new opportunities to engage with Japanese tea. Together we can bring Japanese tea to a brighter tomorrow!

Membership Levels 

Tea Buddy

Tea Fellow

Tea Catalyst
Open to everyone Open to everyone Application needed. Requirements:

  • At least 1 year of Tea Fellow Membership
  • Completion of at least Japanese Tea Intermediate Course
  • Tea experience in Japan (visit to tea farms, factories, tea ceremony, etc.)
Free 850yen/month
or 9,180yen/year (10% discount)		 1500yen/month
or 16,200yen/year (10% discount)
Benefits
Benefits
Benefits
  • Latest Japanese tea information
  • Access to Japanese tea courses and events
  • Access to tea jobs board
  • Membership status confirmation - digital member’s card
  • Latest Japanese tea and industry information
  • Access to the registered members directory
  • Access to the dedicated online Japanese tea community
  • Access to regular member tea gatherings online
  • Discounts for Japanese tea courses and events
  • Japanese tea image library
  • Listings on the tea jobs board
  • Membership status confirmation - digital member’s card 
  • Latest Japanese tea and industry information
  • Access to the registered members directory
  • Access to the dedicated online Japanese tea community
  • Access to regular member tea gatherings online
  • Discounts for Japanese tea courses and events
  • Japanese tea image library
  • Listings on tea jobs board
  • Membership status confirmation - digital member’s card
  • Direct support by the association's team
  • Rights to represent the association (if no representative in that location)

Membership Benefits in More Detail

Latest Japanese Tea and Industry Information

Our members at all three levels (Tea Buddy, Tea Fellow and Tea Catalyst) receive the latest information about Japanese tea and tea industry through our website journal and regular newsletters. Through collaboration with various tea organizations and experts, we are proud to provide informative articles with unique perspectives on Japanese tea.

Registered Members Directory

The access to our registered members directory allows Tea Fellows and Tea Catalysts to find and reach out to other members in our network: Japanese tea producers, sellers, educators and others passionate about Japanese tea.

Dedicated Online Japanese Tea Community

Tea Fellows and Tea Catalysts also have access to a dedicated online Japanese tea community based on Workplace, that allows a more personal contact with same level members, and provides access to live Japanese tea updates from Japan and around the world.

Member Tea Gatherings

Member Tea Gatherings are available to Tea Fellows and Tea Catalysts. Held online a few times per month, they provide a great opportunity to meet and connect with other members as well as share and hear about the current tea projects. Member Tea Gatherings are also a great way to disconnect from daily worries while enjoying a cup of Japanese tea with like-minded people.

Access to and Discounts for Japanese Tea Courses and Events

All our members have access to Japanese tea courses and events, that help deepen the knowledge and gain practical experience with Japanese tea. Tea Fellows and Tea Catalysts can also enjoy discounts for these activities, such as:

*Only available to members on a yearly membership

Japanese Tea Image Library

Tea Fellows and Tea Catalysts are able to use the Japanese tea image library both for their commercial and non-commercial projects. The image library contains a broad range of images from Japanese tea cultivation and processing to tea brewing, tea culture and more.

 

Tea Jobs Board

Tea jobs board is a listing of tea-related work opportunities: paid or voluntary, full-time or part-time,  long-term or short-term, etc. Tea Buddies are able to view these opportunities, whereas Tea Fellows and Tea Catalysts have the ability to post them, when they are looking for someone to help them with their tea projects.

Membership Status Confirmation

To confirm their membership status all our members are issued a digital member’s card.

Rights to Represent GJTea

Lastly, limited to Tea Catalysts are the rights to represent our association in their location, if there is no representative there yet. Tea catalysts are entitled to hold Japanese tea courses (after completing the training) and events on behalf of our association, and to further grow the Japanese tea community in their area.

Join us today, and together let's develop the Japanese tea world further!

 

100 Pioneer Members

 

We will be forever grateful to our 100 Pioneer Members, who were the first to trust and support our association, when we were just at the beginning of our path. Thanks to them we were able to build a global Japanese tea community and start many new tea initiatives. We are proud to introduce our 100 Pioneer Members here.