World Green Tea Association are recruiting participants for Shizuoka Tea Study Program, a business training program of Japanese tea in Shizuoka prefecture for non-Japanese people, who want to be involved in Japanese tea businesses, for example, those who want to start new business dealing with Japanese tea, open a tea café using specialty teas produced in Japan, become an expert of Japanese tea, learn more about Japanese tea industry etc.
Shizuoka Tea Study Program has 6 host tea companies. OSADA Seicha Co., Ltd., Maruyama Tea Products Corporation, SANWA Co., Ltd., MarumatsuTea Co., Ltd., Matcha Organic Japan Co., Ltd., Kanei Hitokoto Seicha Inc.
These companies often join trading fairs such as JAPAN’S FOOD EXPORT FAIR, FOODEX Japan, etc. as follows.
Maruyama Tea Products Corporation has provided international trainees with business training program related to Japanese tea. This photo shows a French woman explained her experience in the training program of Maruyama Tea Products Corporation on a tea event “Le The Je T’aime” organized by French women living in Shizuoka prefecture.
Maruyama Tea Products Corporation, known as leading company of worldwide trade of Japanese tea, has increased its production and sale of organic teas due to globally gaining demand for organic tea. This photo shows Mr. Hashimoto explained the demand for organic tea has been increasing worldwide in “Organic-tea Power Up Meeting” held by MAFF(Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Fisheries).
OSADA Seicha Co., Ltd. often exhibits their organic tea products including Sencha, Matcha, black tea and original puer tea “Yamabuki Nadeshiko”. This photo shows the booth of OSADA Seicha Co., Ltd. in the JAPAN’S FOOD EXPORT FAIR 2018.
Matcha Organic Japan Co., Ltd. exhibited their matcha in “Organic-tea Power Up Meeting” held by MAFF.
They provide participants with some lessons, experiences and practical training of tea business such as interviewing farmers or learning tea farmers’ annual work cycle, experience and practical training of tea processing, expert instruction of Japanese tea evaluation etc.
An example image of the program. Some programs provide participants with a tour to tea farms and explanation of tea cultivation from tea farmers directly.
An example image of Shizuoka Tea Study Program. This photo shows tea experts explain tea machinery for visitors. Similar menu would be provided as “Lesson in Japanese tea in Tea Museum Shizuoka”
An example image of Shizuoka tea briefing.
An example image of tea tasting experience with Japanese tea experts.
An example image of “refining process”. The photo shows the practice of size fractionation by shaking sieve and bamboo winnow.
An example image of learning tea evaluation method form a Japanese tea expert.
As for the detail of each program, please see the announce page of Shizuoka Tea Study Program.
I think it could be the most profitable that Japanese tea experts directly instruct participants. This direct instruction is seldom experienced in the participants’ home countries.
In addition, the relationship to tea business persons is also very valuable, especially for those who intend to start tea business in their country. Although the internet has decreased information asymmetry, the direct relationship and real practices in the host tea company could give participants rare valuable information including tacit knowledge, which are difficult to get on World Wide Web.
I hope participants can get priceless relationship and experiences in Shizuoka Tea Study Program. If you get interested in the program, please see the announce page.
< Points of Attention >
- Normally it requires about a month from application to confirmation. Application should be sent as early as possible.
- Application form requires your Skype ID for interview.
- Participants must hold a visa for short-term stay within 90 days in Japan, including from visa exempt countries.
- Confirmed participants must submit documents including participation agreement, and enroll in overseas travel insurance.
- The program does not accept applications from general tourists.