Japanese Tea Ambassadors
Nihon-Cha Ambassadors
Japan
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries has recently established a scheme to promote good quality Japanese tea. ‘Nihon-cha Ambassadors’ (Nihon means Japan) have been appointed to promote good quality Japanese green teas in order to differentiate them from the cheap poor quality green teas that are widely available in the European and North America.
The new ‘ambassadors’ have been selected from among qualified Nihon-cha instructors living outside Japan and, once appointed, they are given the relevant equipment and teas by the Nihon-cha Instructor Association to allow them to organize and present tea events and seminars in the countries where they live.
Such events are usually organized in collaboration with the Japanese Embassy in the relevant countries. The aim is to help people understand and appreciate real high quality Japanese green teas. There are currently 18 tea ambassadors in Canada, the US, France, Italy, and Southeast Asia.