Activity Report

The Japan Tea Export Council develops overseas promotions every year. Although our activities have been affected by COVID-19 in 2021, in response to the voices of overseas customers seeking Japanese tea, we conducted face-to-face online promotions and sales promotion activities. We will report on the activities on this page from time to time. In addition, videos of some seminars will be released sequentially in our video library.

◆Hong Kong

　In Hong Kong, in anticipation of virus infections worsening, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council is participating in an online exhibition on an online marketplace. While it is unfortunate that we do not have the opportunity to interact with customers face-to-face in person, this kind of contact with customers for this certain period has a different kind of appeal, and it has given us an idea for promotions after COVID-19.

◆Singapore

　Oishii Japan and airport events have been canceled, but on February 6th and 7th at the JR Cafe, after taking precautionary measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, a promotion was held where samples were distributed and cold brewed tea was provided along with product explanations.

◆New York online seminar and conference

　We were planning to hold 2 seminars in New York this year, but they were canceled due to worsening infections. Therefore, we held a video seminar and conference with a limited-time viewing aimed at U.S. buyers with whom cold brewed tea served at restaurants has been increasing in recent years, and for those who also have a strong support for Matcha.
The sharing of knowledge that buyers can use immediately, such as lectures on production and distribution by tea companies, seminars on providing Matcha and cold brewed tea, and quality examination demonstrations were well received. We also received many business inquiries. You can view the seminar video from our video library.

◆American Japanese tea portal seminar

The Winter Fashion Show this year has been canceled. Therefore, we have created and disclosed a portal site that appeals to American consumers in support of local retailers who are popularizing Japanese tea even during COVID-19. On the website, you can search for Japanese tea shops centered on Los Angeles and New York, and the names of Japanese companies that support you are also posted.
Please view it with this link.

◆France online seminar and importing consultation

This year due to travel restrictions, the planned restaurant promotion was canceled. In place of that, for France where leaf tea consumption is high, we held an online course (limited time) for essential knowledge about purchasing, particularly for tea dealers specializing in Japanese tea, luxury hotels, and restaurant buyers. Importing consultation was also held.
It was most likely the world’s first genuine buyer course, including a lecture on the production and distribution structure unique to Japanese tea, a tasting course with provided samples, a Japanese tea evaluation course, and an introduction to production areas.
You can view the contents of the course in our video library.

◆Malaysia exhibition

The Malaysia International Tea & Coffee Expo scheduled for this year has been postponed, but with the cooperation of the Malaysia Tea Association, who presides over the exhibition, we were able to hold a 3-day B-to-B and B-to-C seminar.
We delivered samples of Japanese tea and Japanese tea food products directly to the participating companies, and through a lecture video and real-time we held a promotion with Sencha on the 1st day, Matcha on the 2nd day, and cold brewed tea on the 3rd day. Even though was an experimental attempt, with the cooperation of the local ABC Cooking Studio and Secai Marche (who exports Japanese food products), it was fully booked all day (the consumer course closed in 30 minutes) and there was a big response including local media coverage.
You can see the lecture video used in the live seminar, which shows the basics of buying Japanese tea, in our video library.

◆Taiwan International Tea Expo

In Taiwan, which succeeded in containing the coronavirus infection, the Taiwan International Tea Expo was held as scheduled from November 13th to 15th, 2020. Although we were not able to travel there from Japan, under the direction of the Japan Tea Export Association (our member organization), with the cooperation of local Japanese tea instructors and tea companies that handle Japanese tea, we were given the opportunity to get to know many customers.