Tea buffs gather in Japan for global festival

HIGASHIYAMA: In the shadow of a giant Chinese character for "tea" written in live cypress trees, enthusiasts gather once every three years in Japan to talk about one of the world's favourite drinks.

The World Tea Festival this month celebrated the liquid in all its forms, from the earthenware teapots used in Japan to the delicate bone china of an English cup and saucer; from the samovars that gurgle in Russian novels to the short, sweet, shot-sized glasses drunk in Turkey.

For the connoisseur there were tasting sessions where expert blenders guided visitors through the range of teas grown on the slopes of Shizuoka in central Japan; some sweet, some sharp, some citrus and some an eye-watering 300,000 yen per kilogram ($1,500 per pound).

While most teas retail for considerably less than that, the prize blend by the Kakegawa Jonan Tea Industry Union is labour intensive, taking 50 people a whole day to harvest just four kilograms of the delicate buds.

There were also tea ceremonies where the powdered form of Japanese green tea was whipped into a frothing frenzy with a stubby bamboo brush.

"Sado" -- tea ceremony -- is laden with symbolism, from the movement of the hands that spoon the fine dust into the cup to the manner in which it is drunk and the seasonal significance of the colourful compacted sugar cakes that accompany it.

The every day form of strong, slightly bitter green tea is the beverage of choice for millions of Japanese. It is drunk at home, in the office and on the go in ready-made bottles bought from convenience stores.

In this part of Japan, tea is a very serious business, said Mitsuru Shirai, who heads Shizuoka prefecture's office for tea and agricultural produce.

"It is tea that has created us," he said, calling the festival "a combined celebration of culture and industry."

The green leaves have been grown here for nearly 800 years; today they support 15,000 farmers, 800 different companies, and provide 100,000 jobs in an industry worth 44 billion yen ($444 million) to the local economy.