JAPAN
On Aug. 20 Obubu, a non-profit association of Japanese green tea growers and retailers, took part in the Wazuka Summer Festival in Kyoto prefecture. Wazuka is a traditional Japanese tea town with 800 years of tea history. It is home to 300 tea families and produces 50% of Kyoto prefecture’s tea, and is Japan’s biggest matcha producing area, producing 23% of the matcha in Japan.
Around 500 people attended to enjoy local food and drink, children’s activities, performances from live bands, and to taste tea. Local treats on offer included traditional Japanese foods such as Takoyaki (fried octopus balls), yaki soba (fried noodles), and karaage (fried chicken) freshly brewed local teas, Hojicha-flavored ice cream and jelly, matcha mochi and dango (traditional Japanese sweets), and ‘cha soba’ green tea noodles.
Obubu served anmitsu — a traditional Japanese sweet made of jelly, red beans, and fruit and Wazuka locals also made beautiful matcha art, hand-decorating bowls of bright green foamy tea with stunning pictures and personalized messages. The village’s next big event is Wazuka’s annual Teatopia Festival (Chagenkyo Matsuri) on the first weekend of November.
The event attracts more than 6,000 tea lovers from around the world, and is an opportunity to take part in tea activities and sample many different tea infused foods and local, regional and international teas. Obubu also organizes yearly tea tours abroad to promote tea education and spread knowledge of Japanese tea to the world.
Learn more: obubutea.com