On 28 October 2021, the Nagasaki Ikedoki Tea team visited Sonogi Elementary School to host a virtual tea tour for the grade 6 students.
Students learned about their local Sonogi tea (Sonogicha) via digital technology: Matsu presented videos of tea factory processing and drone footage shot over the scenic Sonogi tea fields, there was a live connection to Satoshi who was in the tea fields, and an international video call with Marjolein who spoke to the students about her connection with tea and showed them how to prepare Sonogi tamaryokucha.
The local Nagasaki Newspaper was present during the two tea tours and published an article about the event.
A rough translation of the article written by Daisuke Mutsukura:
“Sonogi elementary school students (6th grade) learned the charm of the local speciality “Sonogicha” using video conference and videos. The lecture was presented by Higashi Sonogi Tourism Association as a part of their Nagasaki Ikedoki Tea Project, which aims to spread Sonogicha to the world.
Japanese tea instructor Yasuharu Matsumoto, who is one of the main members of the project, introduced the uniqueness of Sonogicha and the tea processing by visuals.
He told that everyone in the world knows Nagasaki as an atomic bomb site. Nagasaki Ikedoki Tea would like to send a message of world peace through the peaceful feeling of drinking Sonogicha.
In the lecture, students talked with Marjolein Raijmakers from the Netherlands, who is familiar with the world’s teas, by connecting to the video conference system. She taught the students how to make delicious tea. She said: “It is amazing to have a special drink that is hard to come by in the Netherlands. You are lucky because you can drink it every day.”
Students asked her “What is your favourite tea?” and other questions, enjoying the online exchange.”
It was a very enjoyable experience to interact with the local elementary school students and show them some new perspectives to the tea that surrounds them.