Join the Japanese Tea Marathon!

The Olympic Games are taking place in Tokyo, and we are cheering especially for participants who study at the University of Pécs or have already graduated. Japan, the country of the rising sun, is now more in the focus of attention, however, there are only very limited opportunities to visit this unique country at the moment, but fortunately, learning about its culture and traditions is becoming more and more widely available thanks to various TV shows and online opportunities. The famous Japanese cuisine is also very exciting, an integral part of it is the tea culture, which can be explored at the Japanese Tea Marathon free of charge by anyone during the Olympics.

Japanese tea export is growing every year, and there is a significant increase in international interest, while other beverages are gaining popularity in Japan. Thus, the essence and purpose of the Japanese Tea Marathon, a very interesting educational program organized by the Japanese Tea Central Council PIIA and the Global Japanese Tea Association, is to share more information about the extraordinary Japanese teas and the dedicated tea producers who make them. Participants can explore fifteen beautiful tea regions, from south to north. Every day, two tea farmers are introduced live from the tea fields or their shops, where they show you the teas of the region and how to prepare them. If you have any further questions, you can ask them during the show, of course they will be happy to answer. The members of the tea-enthusiast community from all over the world also have tea at the same time, share their experiences, help promote Japanese teas in their respective countries.

During the Olympics, you can learn about thirty delicious and healthy Japanese teas, from more well-known teas such as sencha, genmaicha, houjicha to rarity teas. You can register and join the Japanese Tea Marathon until 8 August. The daily two-hour program can be watched live from 11am-1pm and from 4-6pm Japanese time, between 4-6 am and 9-11 am in Hungary. Starting on 23 July, teas from Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Kumamoto, Fukuoka, and Saga regions were presented. Other tea-growing places that participants get the chance to visit virtually thanks to the show are:

• Nagasaki (29 July),
• Kochi (30 July),
• Kyoto (31 July),
• Nara (01 Aug),
• Shiga (02 Aug),
• Mie (04 Aug),
• Aichi (05 Aug),
• Saitama (06 Aug),
• Ibaraki (07 Aug) and
• Shizuoka (08 Aug).

Do you have the stamina to complete the Japanese Tea Marathon?

Mariann Tóth