Nagasaki Ikedoki Tea’s mission is to ‘Spread a peaceful world with Japanese tea!‘
Ikedoki Tea acts as a bridge: connecting you, the tea drinker, to the tea fields. We want to take you through the process of how fresh tea leaves end up in your cup, and take you on a journey through your senses by tasting the different flavours that tea from Nagasaki has to offer.
Nagasaki Ikedoki Tea has two main activities:
– promoting a diversity of Nagasaki produced teas through our online shop,
– hosting tea tours where we take visitors out into the beautiful Sonogi tea fields, show you a tea factory, teach you some local tea history and of course let you taste a selection of teas produced in the surrounding Sonogi tea region.
Who is Ikedoki Tea?
Yasuharu Matsumoto, ‘Matsu’
Matsu, a pioneer of tea tourism in Japan and a creative visionary, has been working with Japanese tea since 2004. He has worked tirelessly to promote Japanese tea to the overseas market, travelling the world to give workshops on Japanese teas.
Matsu is a certified Nihoncha instructor and is also a co-founder of both the Global Japanese Tea Association and Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms.
Since 2020, Matsu has initiated the Nagasaki Ikedoki Tea project, trying to find a new way and model to promote Nagasaki teas through both tourism and online tea sales, closely collaborating with local government.
Marjolein Raijmakers
Marjolein found herself fully in love with tea before she realised it had begun. After completing tea sommelier courses in both the Netherlands (her home country) and the UK, she dedicated 7 months to travelling and working for tea in Japan & South Korea in 2018. During these travels she visited Higashisonogi and was enchanted by the surroundings and the hospitality she found there.
Marjolein also chased her thirst for tea through tea fields in China, Sri Lanka and even in Europe (Scotland & Germany). She deeply values the international tea community and always enjoys connecting (with) other tea people. Marjolein is always eager to learn more and dive deeper into the endlessly fascinating world of tea and considers herself an eternal tea student.
Marjolein is excited to finally be able to return to Higashisonogi from May 2023 and dig her tea roots deeper in the rich soils here.
Shoji Iizuka
Shoji was born in Chiba, close to Tokyo. He spent over 10 years working in the vicinity of Tokyo, designing product catalogues for a publishing company. Slowly his desire to get out of city life grew stronger, until a few years ago he decided he wanted to move to the countryside. He discovered the little paradise of Higashisonogi and decided to settle down here with his family.
Shoji works for the local tourism association, promoting the beauty and treasures of this town. He facilitates and aids many local events, and always helps host our tea tours. Shoji has the Nihoncha advisor certificate and brews delicious teas during our tours!
