Where do I even begin? This non-profit is inspiring. Not only to those who join as members to learn more about Japanese tea but also to the farmers and tea companies they support with their global outreach. While they don’t sell their own tea, it is the people who run this company that keep the tea world growing and changing for the better. I am very excited to see how they develop in the future.

Website: https://gjtea.org/

Location(s) Headquarters:

• Kyoto, Japan. They have their own place here but please contact them before going.

Company Focus:

• Introducing the world to Japanese Tea

Most popular company tea(s)?

• (From TeaTiff) Currently, GJTea does not sell or make their own tea but they do partner with many farmers who provide tea for the many different courses and events they hold.
• On another side note, Simona (president of GJTea), entered the National Tea Hand-rolling Competition in 2023 along with Kenta Hosoi from Hosoi Nouen and Akihiro Kita from Obubu Tea. They won first place! Read more about that here.

Does the company name have a meaning?

• This means exactly what it says, a membership-driven, non-profit, non-governmental organization that aims to expand the Japanese tea world through global collaboration.

What is your and/or your co-workers’ favorite tea?  

• Simona – Simona – It varies, but regional banchas like irbancha and kyobancha are super interesting to me. Yet I think they are often undervalued.
• Matsu – Black Gyokuro. 2024. I like the differences in it and the fact that it doesn’t have a set category and that it came about not through a farmer’s first vision when harvesting the tea but through pioneering.
• Both: It changes.

What are your thoughts on transparency in the tea industry?

• Simona – It depends on the country, but perhaps the situation in Japan is not as difficult as elsewhere. A lot of farmers make their own tea and often are in charge of both cultivation and processing, which gives them more control. From the consumer point of view, though, many teas on the market are still blended and it is not always easy to know the source of it. But recently single-origin teas have been gaining a bit more interest as well.
• Matsu – This question is like a raw egg. From the outside, the Japanese Tea industry protects some secrets. You can’t see the inside. Not transparent. But inside is like the white part. No structure, not solid. Usually, the tea industry has a shell, very tough and strict but inside it’s very messy. The standards are changing. Some are having trouble adapting to the new standards. The way of thinking looks transparent but it is difficult to change and adapt. It is a tea swamp.

What role does tea play in our lives?

• Simona –  I see it in two ways. In one way, tea brings us together allowing us to share a moment. It is very open and engaging and everyone is welcome for a cup of tea. In another way, it is also like a quiet companion giving us comfort, a moment to pause and find our peace.
• Matsu – Water can satisfy. Tea can satisfy our hearts. When we visited the disaster we served Obubu Tea to them. 2,000 kilometers of travel to serve tea. It became more than tea to them. One survivor said, ‘For ten months I only drank water for survival but it’s necessary. I drink tea now but I couldn’t before. I feel that tea can give moisture in my heart.

Anything else you’d like to add?

• Matsu: Tea doesn’t have direction.

---

TeaTiff Picks:

• Japanese Tea Marathon. This is no longer running but for me, it is important to mention because this is when I discovered GJTea. I was honored with one of the 200 boxes of tea sent out around the world with 30 teas from different regions. I will always remember this experience and how it made me fall even deeper for Japanese tea.
• Japanese Tea Courses: Foundation, Intermediate, and Master. I never really enjoyed school growing up. I just went through the motions. And yet I feel like I can’t study enough when it comes to tea. After completing my courses with the World Tea Academy I spent a few months figuring out where to dive in next. That is when I rediscovered GJTea. I wanted to dive more into the mysterious world of Japanese tea and rediscover the passion I found in the marathon. With GJTea the courses are well laid out and no matter where you are at as a tea learner you will learn something. The best part is when you complete the foundation and then intermediate courses it qualifies you to take the Master class in Kyoto. It is absolutely worth every penny.