Fellow Tea Lovers,
I just spent my Chinese New Year in Japan, and boy, have I got stories!! After 4 years of living and working in China, visiting Japan was like visiting an alternate universe: everything is so well organized, so clean and so orderly, I couldn’t help but feel slightly unnerved:)
I have become so accustomed to the Chinese lifestyle, that being flung into the most organized and well prepared country in the world was a bit of a shock. But I loved every minute of it, and am already planning another trip there!!
Because of the hardships and reconstruction that came after the Second World War, it seems that the entire country is fire proof, earthquake proof, flood proof, bomb proof…let’s just say that if Armageddon ever comes, I want to be in Japan when it happens. The have contingency plans for everything!
To top it all off, the Japanese are some of the most helpful, kind and interesting people I have ever encountered. At every turn, people were willing to help me find my way, just wanted to chat, and at no point were they interested in anything other than helping me enjoy their country.
But let’s get down to business: tea! I had the privilege to visit a tea plantation in the southern part of Kyoto, drink teas I had never even heard of and learn more about Japanese tea culture that is in any book I have ever read.
All this week I will be regaling you with stories from tea rooms, tea plantations and the easiest, fastest and most popular place to get a cup of Matcha (powdered green tea) in the whole country…Starbucks (weep!:( ).
I have so much to share with you, and over the next few days, you’ll get to hear it all!!
Drink on tea lovers, drink on!
Tea Gal in China 
Nen said,
February 23, 2011 at 1:57 pm
I look forward to your posts and can’t wait to hear of your discoveries in Japan. As always, love Nen
Frank said,
March 1, 2011 at 1:03 pm
Hey Marika, a good friend of mine also went to Japan over the New Year and came back saying exactly the same thing.