Our Team

The Ikedoki Team

We are a small, passionate team (you may call us tea-crazy!) working alongside local farmers, local government, and tea lovers worldwide to share Nagasaki’s diverse and delicious teas.

Yasuharu Matsumoto (Matsu)

Co-Founder & NIHONCHA Instructor

Matsu is a pioneer of tea tourism in Japan and a creative visionary who has been working with Japanese tea since 2004. He has worked tirelessly to promote Japanese tea to the international market, traveling the world to give workshops on Japanese tea.

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 led the Nagasaki Ikedoki Tea project, creating a new tourism and e-commerce model to promote Nagasaki teas in close collaboration with the local government.

Marjolein Raijmakers

Co-Founder & Tea Sommelier

Marjolein found herself fully in love with tea before she realised it had begun. After completing tea sommelier courses in both her home country of the Netherlands and the UK, she dedicated 7 months to traveling and working for tea in Japan and South Korea in 2018. During these travels, she visited Higashisonogi and was enchanted by the beautiful coastal tea fields and local hospitality.

Marjolein has chased her passion for tea through fields in China, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and even Europe (Scotland, Netherlands & Germany). She deeply values the international tea community, considers herself an “eternal tea student,” and is excited to dig her tea roots deeper into the rich soils of Higashisonogi.

Our Local Collaborators & Partners

At Ikedoki Tea, we believe in community. We work hand-in-hand with local government and tourism associations to promote the Sonogi region and support small tea producers.

Shoji Iizuka

Local Tourism Partner & Nihoncha Advisor

Shoji was born in Chiba and spent over 10 years working near Tokyo as a catalogue designer. Seeking a life closer to nature, he moved with his family to the little paradise of Higashisonogi.

Shoji works for the local tourism association, promoting the beauty and treasures of Higashisonogi. He facilitates local events and collaborates closely with Ikedoki Tea to host our tours. Shoji holds a Nihoncha Advisor certificate.

Learn More & Join Us