Japan Recap: Spring is in Full Bloom

Last year our CEO traveled to Japan to visit international partners and to see the marvelous blooming cherry blossoms. Usually, his trips include visits to family farms where we source green tea. This trip, however, was focused on the clients who are bringing Art of Tea to the Japanese tea audience!

Art of Tea in Japan

It's no secret that we source many of our teas from Japan. After all, Japan is one of the largest tea producers in the world. Japanese tea even has its own distinct characteristics. Despite all of this, there's still a demand for Art of Tea in Japan. Why is it that a country that produces some of the best tea looks to an American tea brand to source teas?

Japan is undoubtedly a tea-loving country. However, much of the available tea is a single origin. Art of Tea is a little different. Our specialty is in blending, so our teas combine ingredients to create exciting and creative new flavors that you can't find anywhere else. Many Japanese cafes, restaurants, and hotels introduce our blends to their menus to add excitement. Our blends are also often used as a base for creative mocktails, like the Garden of Eden-based mocktail our CEO sampled at a restaurant.  

Inspired by Sakura

While in Japan, our team had the privilege of seeing the legendary seasonal blooming of the Sakura, or Japanese cherry blossom. Each year, the cherry blossom trees around Japan bloom, covering the landscape in magnificent blossoms. The Peninsula Hotel in Tokyo wanted to celebrate this seasonal event, so we created a tea that perfectly captured the aromas of the Sakura bloom.

In Japan, "afternoon" tea is a bit of a misnomer. Afternoon tea is massively popular and service runs up to 9 pm at night. Like American tea service, Japanese afternoon tea includes tiers of treats and pots of tea. We had the opportunity to visit an afternoon tea at the Ritz Carlton Osaka, too, and were blown away by the luxurious tea service. 

We understand that it's not easy to fly across the globe to experience the blooming of Sakura in Japan, so we brought the experience back with us! Experience cherry blossom season yourself through our new blend: Sakura. The white tea blend features fruity and floral notes that will transport you to Tokyo for this whimsical seasonal bloom!

Learn more about your favorite beverage and its history here.