i went to JAPAN for my MATCHA BUSINESS! 🍵 matcha research, cafes & farms

reporting live from Japan. I am here

conducting some research.

Hi, I am Ashley and if you didn't know,

I have a matcha brand

and having this job is first of all the

best job in the world and second of all

entails me to go to Japan at least once

a year which is another reason why it's

the best job in the world. I am here

currently in Tokyo. Basically, I am here

to do some research and that means I'm

going to go try some of the most popular

matcha cafes in Japan. Try their menu,

see what they're doing, see some of the

aesthetics of the cafes here just in

case I like want to open up a cafe one

day. Other than that, doing some like

flavor research on what's popular here

in Japan since they are a little bit

ahead of the curve. Aside from that, I

also get to check on farms and

everything that's already running in

Japan. And we're going to be visiting

Toto and Uji later in the video. You

guys will see why. Okay, let's go. All

right, guys. The first place we're going

to is Hatoya. It is a very popular manga

spot. I've been to their location in

Yodo before, but I've never been to

their one in Shabuya. So, that is where

we're heading right now.

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[Applause]

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I got two matchas here. I got their

roasted matcha, which I asked them. I

was like, "Is that mortita?" And they

were like, "No, it just means that it

has like roasted flavor." So, they said

this one should be nutty. And I got it

with a little bit of brown sugar. And

then this one is their premium

handpicked matcha. I got this one

unsweetened, but it does have ice cream

on the top of it. Cheers.

The roasted matcha flavor is really

good. It has an amazing nutty flavor.

This tastes like pistachio. Like it

almost makes it taste like pistachio.

And we got the most performative meal

right behind you. Bro, matcha and a

book.

>> Wait,

>> I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding.

>> What are you doing,

>> Sarah? You forgot your headphones.

>> Okay, let's try their handpicked one.

>> Wo.

>> M.

I don't know which one I like better.

This one was nuttier. like pistachio

flavor. This one was a little bit more

veggieish, but it was also stronger. I

think the hand is my favorite.

>> Nice.

>> Yummy.

>> Yummy.

>> Oh my god, bro.

[Laughter]

>> Okay, we have just arrived in Ginsa. I

am in Frankfurt at Le Matcha, which

whenever I watch Tik Toks, this is the

one that everyone ranks as their number

one. So, I have very high expectations.

I'm just going to get their base matcha

latte. Let's go in there.

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Mom's being performative at the cafe.

>> Okay, I just ordered my matcha latte.

The cultivar that I ordered was Okora

yama which means Mount Okura in Japanese

with yama meaning mountain. I wanted to

chat a little bit about cultivars in

case you didn't know because I feel like

it's so interesting. Basically, a

cultivar stands for cultivated variety.

All matcha is made of the green tea

plant. However, it's been bred in

different ways to taste differently, and

that's where cultivars come in. Aguryama

is a cultivar that's specific from

Yamamasa Coyamayan. Some of these really

established tea brands like Yamamasa or

Maruku have actually their own cultivars

that they created themselves, which is

really cool. If you know Nami, we have

an Okumadori matcha, which is named

after the Okumadori cultivar, which it's

made of. I love learning more about

different cultivars because that's

really what gives your matcha an amazing

taste. So, here we go. Oh my goodness.

Okay, time for the taste test. Uh,

that's really awkward. Okay. Okay, guys.

I already drank it. It actually has such

a different flavor. It was so smooth. No

bitterness, no astringency.

Yeah. In a certain way, it's a little

more mild because it doesn't have those

two like key matcha flavors, but it's

still very good. And I usually kind of

like a little bit of bitterness or like

more punch to my matcha. So, this is

great. But I actually do typically like

a little bit more of like a punchier

matcha. I don't really know how to

explain. Okay, so now Amber and my mom

are trying their matchas. My mom got a

peach matcha and Amber got a horabi

mochi matcha.

That is delicious.

Mine is really cream flavor. It's like a

mixture of ice cream.

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Meow.

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Yay.

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Hey guys, I am currently in Kyoto. And

do you want to know why? Well, because

Kyoto is one of the most renowned matcha

producing regions in all of Japan. So,

I'm here today to explore more amazing

matcha cafes. Even just like a generic

matcha cafe is top tier. Of course,

there are many other matcha producing

regions of Japan, including where Nami

has our matcha farms. So most of our

farms are actually in Shizoka. So we

passed by that on the train. It's a

little bit closer to Tokyo. And Shizoka

is actually where most of Japan's matcha

is made. Same with Kakeawa, Kagoshima,

and Fukoka. And specifically in Fukoka

in the Yame region, that is where our

yame matcha is made. So there are a lot

of different places around Japan that we

have farms. But here we are in Kyoto.

And I actually don't have any farms in

Kyoto. So, I'm here doing a little bit

of research and also maybe chatting with

some people potentially. We'll see. I

probably can't include that much of it,

but I am scouting out some potential

farms here in Uji. I am here at the most

gorgeous Airbnb. It's right next to a

temple. And so, this temple is actually

closed to the public, but it's very

gorge. Shall we do a tour? Let's go

inside.

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The first thing you see when you walk in

is this skin vape. What? Stop it. We

don't need that. Oh my god. Spray me

more.

Let's go. Here we have our little Kyoto

stay. Got a little bathroom. Over here

we head into the kitchen. Very gorgeous

island. Very gorgeous amenities. They

have all of this coffee and everything.

>> What was so funny is the guy was like,

"Do any of you guys like coffee?" If you

want to open this bag, you can use it

and then just take it home. Little

living space. We're going to go up the

stairs. We have a perfect little bedroom

for mom's perfect two little beautiful

twin sisters. I can tell mom where he

sat on this.

>> That was actually my big butt and mom

made fun of me cuz my butt mark was so

big. Can I do it again? This is what I

did earlier and I looked crazy.

>> Why is my butt so big? Mom came in and

she's like, "Did you put a luggage on

the bed?" I was like, "That was actually

my big

dumpy." Over here we have the dumpy.

That's where I sit my dumpy. This is

where I scrub my dumpy. And this is uh

not related to my dumpy. Lots of robes

for us.

>> Robes and PJs.

>> I love when they give the PJs. And then

this is the main room. Big bed. I love

these mats. Look at the view. It's

gorgeous. This is how I bow to Ashley

cuz she booked the Airbnb.

>> Okay.

Okay, now hit him with the Thank you,

Ashley.

>> Thank you. It's crazy.

>> Thank you for booking the Airbnb.

>> Girl, get your hair off the floor.

>> Thank you so much. I can never repay. On

to the rest. Actually, that's pretty

much it.

>> Yeah. Then there's just a bathroom here.

Let's head out and go get some more

freaking matcha.

Okay, we just took an Uber. We are now

in Gashiamyama Gore. We are walking up

to go to probably the most famous matcha

place in Kyoto, which is called Okago.

And I am so excited. They take these

like really iconic scoops of matcha. And

it's close to closing time. So, I really

hope that we're able to go.

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Okay, we just ordered. They said it's a

15 to 20 minute wait, which is kind of

crazy. I am waiting for it and I'm

literally so excited. Also, I bumped

into so many of you guys here. There

were three girls outside and then one

more girl just said hi right in here.

So, so funny.

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Okay, so here's the tea, guys. I feel

like the scoops that they were giving

were a little bit smaller, which is fine

because the matcha itself was still very

pigmented. However, the matcha, it was

okay, but it wasn't something that blew

me away, and I think I was expecting

that just given like other people's

reviews I had seen online. The one I

actually didn't really like was their

hoji cha, which was really watery and

very like light colored and even a

little bit acidic to me. I don't know

what happened with the Ho Chicha there,

but the matcha was still pretty good

overall. Out of all of the ones that I

tried so far in the video, the Poya was

actually my favorite tea. Period.

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>> Good morning. Today we are heading to a

tea ceremony. I really want to bring my

mom to a tea ceremony. So, we are in

fact doing that. That's one of the like

number one things you can do in Kyoto.

And Nami, we really value the

traditional ceremony and the ritual of

making matcha. And so, I like to do them

whenever we can just as a little

reminder of matcha and where it comes

from. So, I think we're going to have an

awesome time.

Guys, I have a little surprise for you.

Basically, I booked the tea ceremony,

but I didn't tell you guys that there's

a second half to the tea ceremony, and

it's that you dress up in samurai

outfits and do a photo shoot.

>> Samurai outfits.

>> Okay, then.

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>> They immediately handed us the swords.

>> Well, I definitely didn't think I would

be holding a samurai sword within the

first 30 seconds of entering the

building, but here we are. We actually

did our samurai photo shoot prior to our

tea ceremony. And while this might seem

kind of random, samurai were actually

very deeply connected to the Japanese

tea ceremony, using it for social

interaction, political purposes, and

also to just try to cultivate inner

peace in the midst of war times.

Anyways, it's time for the tea ceremony.

The first step was, of course, choosing

our own chawans, aka matcha bowls, that

we would be using for the ceremony. Then

our amazing tea master, Maya, had us

enter the tea room the traditional way

through this tiny opening that is

actually tiny on purpose because it is

meant to make you bow as you enter. From

there, Maya gave us all the historical

background about matcha tea ceremonies

and how matcha made its way to Japan.

And we got to choose our very own

wagashi, aka like little sweet

rice/mochi snacks that you eat alongside

your usucha, aka traditional matcha tea.

From there, Maya performed the tea

ceremony before us, and it was so

peaceful and serene. Literally, every

single movement within the ceremony was

intentional. From the cleaning of the

matcha bowl to the way that she scooped

the matcha, it really made me feel so

present in the moment, you know, just

listening to the sounds of the water.

And this was a much needed reset for my

brain rotted brain. And after Maya made

the first matcha, we were actually able

to attempt our own. And I really loved

being able to do this. She instructed us

on the proper way to place your hand and

scoop the water as well as how to drink

the matcha properly. Starting with a bow

and then turning the chawan twice as a

sign of respect and to face the pretty

side of your chawan towards your host.

And oh my goodness, eating the wagashi

with the matcha was so yummy. It

perfectly harmonized with the matcha to

relieve any bitterness and make the

entire experience super delicious. And

one of the other fun parts of the

specific experience is that we also got

to make a Kyoto style matcha latte. And

I really love this since I'd say this is

the most popular way to drink matcha

nowadays, at least in the US. And she

was super informational with this, which

is really great if you want to learn the

proper steps to make an amazing latte.

But if you can't make it all the way to

Japan, you can also just watch my how to

make a perfect matcha latte video. Then

at the end, we all got certificates of

achievement, which were so cute, and it

was a very fun and caffeinated morning.

Okay, we just got out of the tea

ceremony, and it was so cute. Maya, the

host, was actually like so bubbly and

nice and fun. So, if you're in Kyoto,

I'll link their business in the video,

and you guys can go also do your tea

ceremony there. And I really like that

you do like the entire tea ceremony. And

then you also take photos with the

samurai. So, I was confused why we were

going to a matcha and samurai place, but

then she explained that matcha

ceremonies started with samuris meeting

over tea to like discuss politics. They

said they really became popular during

wartimes when people were like stressing

out about living and dying and then they

wanted to have some sense of calm during

the day. Yeah. But now it turned into a

thing where 90% of tea ceremonies are

with women. Look at my fashionable

mommy.

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And currently in the Shiki market and

look, they have marukuan. I feel like

this is lowkey very rare. It comes in a

pack with a whisk and it's one per

person. This is so epic. Okay, now this

is the exciting part of the video, guys.

I am currently here in Uji. Uji is super

well known for having amazing matcha.

However, only a very small amount of

Japan's matcha comes from Uji

specifically. Uji is actually where a

lot of the tea gets ground up. It gets

processed. But most of the uji matcha

you see is actually from here

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>> it's in the southern area of Kyoto. It's

another 30inut drive away from Uji. But

I want to come out here to for one show

you guys the most gorgeous rolling hills

of green tea plants. is actually one of

the most beautiful sites I've ever seen.

It brings tears to my eyes. I feel like

when people think of matcha, they really

think of uji. And I would say that's

because of the historical relevance of

uji. That's where matcha cultivation

really has like its starting point.

However, out of all of Japan's matcha,

uji matcha actually only makes up half a

percent.

>> What?

>> Half of 1% of matcha in Japan. I thought

Uji was like the matcha place. It is

considered the matcha area, but again

it's because of the historical

background and also just because it's

known for having some of the best matcha

ever. It started in Uji mostly, but now

it's spread elsewhere. Yes, Cotto

itself, like the entire region of Kyoto.

Only makes up like six, seven, it only

makes up like 3 or 4% I believe of all

of Japan's matcha. And when it comes to

Cotto matcha specifically, 40% of

Cotto's matcha comes from Wazuka. That's

why you see so many hills here. And

y'all know I'm here on a business trip.

Inside of this, I have a very secret

confidentialformational

surprise. What is that? Oh, matcha

samples.

>> Matcha samples. So, as you guys know, I

have been looking to potentially offer

an uji matcha, but it's been very hard

since, as you guys can tell, a very,

very small percent of matcha comes from

Uji. So, I have a couple samples right

here. And these samples right here are

not just specifically from Uji. They are

from Wazuka. Uji Matcha is known for

having very deep umami flavors. So, who

knows if we will actually have an Uji

Matcha, but if all goes well, fingers

crossed. If you guys did watch my video

from when I visited my matcha farms in

Shizoka, I brought you guys to my

manufacturer. I brought you guys to the

farm. When I went on that trip, I

actually only brought Kelly. But this

time, Amber gets to see some real green

tea plants for herself. This looks like

a computer wallpaper. This is about to

be my new screen saver. Isn't it crazy?

This is how matcha's made. It's on these

gorgeous rolling hills. It's the most

spectacular view I've seen in a really

long time.

>> It's like beer.

>> To the right of something

as a thank you gift to foreigners who

ride with so nice

getting beer with him. He's giving us

matcha beer. Wait, this is so nice. He

asked, "Do we like beer?" Mama's like,

"No." I was like, "Just say yes. Say yes

to try the beer.

>> Whatever he's saying, we have to say

yes.

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>> Wow.

>> Oh yeah, that's what you were saying.

Girl,

>> this girl knows her stuff. Big fact

check

which we will pass through now is the

birthplace of Muji. Beer we just saw is

handmade. So there is only a limited

amount available.

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next week Sunday.

>> Oh, that's

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our Uber turned into a freaking tour

guide.

>> He literally is being our tour guide.

He's actually so nice. He said that

Ujito Toara is also like the city of

hearts, so everything's heart-shaped.

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I thought there was a panda.

Panda, too. Tokyo. Tokyo.

>> Oh, there's only two pandas.

>> Well, he joked that there was a panda on

the side of the road.

>> What?

>> And just like that, we're on to the next

location. My next video will still be in

Asia, just not in Japan. I'm super

excited to try those matcha samples and

let you guys know what I think. There

are lots of crazy exciting new products

coming for Nami very soon. Make sure to

join the matcha mob if you want all the

behind the scenes to know what products

we're working on. Help me literally

choose graphics and design our new

products, get early access, get

discounts, and of course, if you guys

want to support Nami and go check us

out, I will also have a link in my

description as well and right here. We

finally have lots of stuff back in

stock. So, we have starter kits, matcha,

hoja. Thanks for watching and I will see

you guys next time. Bye.

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