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73rd National Tea Appraisal Skills Competition: Japan's Top Sencha Tasters Face Off
The 73rd National Tea Appraisal Skills Competition will be held September 5, 2026, at Shizuoka Tea Market, bringing together approximately 120 young tea professionals and successors (under 45) from 13 regions across Japan to compete in identifying tea variety, harvest season, and origin by appearance, aroma, and taste alone. The event marks the first time in a decade that Shizuoka tea youth group will host the competition and notably includes two special invited competitors f…
いま世界が注目する「日本茶」利き茶№1を決める『闘茶会』
Key points
- Approximately 120 young tea professionals from 13 regions competing in four appraisal disciplines: variety identificatio…
- First time in 10 years that Shizuoka tea youth group operates the competition; Wada Natsuki (71st competition individual…
- Two special invited competitors from outside tea industry: Kojima Kanako (Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo) and Takeno S…
- Competition focuses exclusively on sencha expertise amid matcha boom, positioning event as professional-level craft comp…
- Venue is working Shizuoka Tea Market during business hours, providing authentic industry setting where professionals con…
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About this article
The numbers
Participating competitors: 約120名
Participating regional tea organizations: 13
Age limit for participants: 45歳以下
What they said
“We want to convey the authenticity of tea as Japanese culture and the value of tea to the world.”
「日本の文化であるお茶の本物を、お茶の価値を世界に伝えたい」
“Unlike baristas in the coffee industry and sommeliers in wine, Japan's tea masters (chashi) remain little known.”
コーヒー業界のバリスタ、ワイン業界のソムリエと比べ、茶業界の"茶師"はまだあまり知られていません。
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