On October 24th and 25th, our team members Machi and Anna attended the World O-CHA Festival held in Shizuoka, Japan. This international event, launched in 2001 as Japan’s first comprehensive tea exposition, takes place once every three years and gathers tea professionals and enthusiasts from around 20 countries and regions. Celebrating its 9th edition this year, the festival has grown into Japan’s largest tea celebration. The previous event in 2022 attracted a record 740,000 visitors, reflecting the global passion for tea.
Even this year, we noticed a remarkable number of international visitors, despite the limited amount of English information available. Naturally, several of our members also traveled from abroad to attend. It was truly a place where tea enthusiasts from all over the world came together.
The four-day festival offered a rich variety of programs, including tea booths, seminars, symposiums, competitions, and tea ceremonies from different schools and countries.
The festival atmosphere began even before entering the main venue, with tea-themed food trucks, a “tea sauna,” and the World O-CHA Market, a comprehensive trade fair featuring 128 exhibitors indoors and outdoors. Visitors could sample teas, chat directly with producers, and even explore booths marked “available for export,” highlighting Japan’s growing tea export initiatives. Among the many delightful teas, we especially enjoyed high-quality sencha, peach-scented Japanese black tea, and teas aged in sake or whisky barrels. Booths also showcased teas from Taiwan, China, Korea, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka, as well as teaware and sweets.
The same floor hosted exhibits of award-winning teas from the World Green Tea Contest and public tasting sessions for the Nihoncha AWARD. On stage, visitors could watch live-streamed sales events and the Nihoncha Brewers Championship, where professional tea instructors competed in brewing techniques.
On the third floor, a paid tasting area allowed guests to sit, relax, and enjoy multiple infusions of locally produced teas while chatting with producers. There was also a free Chakabuki (tea-tasting challenge) booth, operated by one of our Tea Fellows, Fumie Suzuki. Of course, several of our members joined in. One even got every answer correct, an impressive feat given the difficulty level!
On the sixth floor, visitors could enjoy award-winning sweets paired with teas and take part in the World Grand Tea Ceremony, featuring traditional Japanese tea ceremony, sencha-do, and also Chinese and Korean styles. Our Tea Fellow Ikuko Blodgett together with tea farmer Megumi Yoshida, from Wazuka, Kyoto, participated as an exhibitor at the Matcha Art booth, where we also met other tea enthusiasts and had meaningful exchanges.
Workshops and Seminars
On 25th and 26th, a variety of seminars and symposiums took place, including a popular session about vintage teas held by Oscar Brekell both in Japanese and English, which were fully booked.
Workshops focusing on tea and wellness also stood out:
- “Opening the Five Senses through Breathing and Tea”
- “Japanese Tea Mindfulness: Balancing Thoughts, Emotions, and the Senses”
In the first workshop, participants explored how breathing affects the way we experience tea, how tension or relaxation can change the taste of the same tea. The second session introduced a meditative approach called Japanese Tea Well-being Meditation, inviting participants to taste tea mindfully, using all five senses, and to reconnect with their inner calm through stem tea (bōcha). It was a deeply peaceful and meaningful experience.
GJTea Gathering
On the evening of 24th, we enjoyed dinner with our fellow members who had gathered for the festival. It was a wonderful opportunity to share stories, make new tea-loving connections, and simply enjoy each other’s company after a busy day at the event. We hope to organize similar gatherings again in the future, after all, fostering connections among tea enthusiasts is part of our mission.
The World O-CHA Festival offered not only countless opportunities to taste delicious teas but also to learn, connect, and deepen our understanding of tea culture.
The next festival is expected to be held in 2028, so if you are planning a trip to Japan, this is an event not to be missed!
