Hey hey, Katrina here! I am back!
In autumn 2022, I joined Obubu as an intern (#138), and while I was volunteering at the sister project Ikedoki in Higashi Sonogi last year, also made a brief return to Wazuka, where I had a great time getting involved in the construction shenanigans during the renovations of the sencha factory in September and October 2023. And now, for the third autumn in a row, I’m back at Obubu—this time as an assistant manager for a year!
After my stage, I embarked on an immersive solo tea expedition across Asia that lasted more than a year, studying and experiencing all things “tea”—Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Every tea leaf and every cup was a connection to something larger, something timeless and unspoken—it was a story, an expression of an indomitable place and time, carried in every leaf and drop.
From Japan, my path twisted into the misty highlands of Vietnam, where wild ancient tea trees stood like silent sentinels amidst the clouds. In Taiwan, winter found me indulging in oolongs with tea masters in places like Tainan, Alishan, Taipei, and Yilan. The road continued through the hidden hills and jungles of northern Thailand, where the Red Lahu tribe’s tea forests near Myanmar revealed an entirely different way of life alongside tea. But perhaps the most surreal chapter unfolded in South Korea. One moment I was trekking barefoot, sleeping in bamboo huts in the jungle, showering in waterfalls or using a bucket, and pan-frying semi-wild Assamica; the next, I found myself as part of tea conferences, competitions, and expos. Suddenly, I was wearing a suit. Days were spent alongside Buddhist nuns making green tea, preparing tea for royal exhibitions, and even photographing royal tomb rituals alongside the great-grandson of Emperor Gojong.
After the contract ended, the destiny road led me back to Japan, where the winds of fortune swept me to Higashi Sonogi in Nagasaki. There, where the blue of Omura Bay meets lush green tea fields, I crossed paths with Marjolein of Ikedoki Tea, a fellow tea explorer and former Obubu intern. Together, we filled our days with joyful tea adventures—long afternoons with local farmers, diving deeply into the world of tamaryokucha, a prized local specialty.
The friendships that tea has led me to are truly beyond magic.
But the journey didn’t end there. Bangladesh called, with its sprawling tea estates and the bustling streets of Dhaka alive with the scent of doodh cha, milk tea. Tong er cha street stalls appeared like specters amid the city’s hurried movements, offering tea in fleeting moments. There were rooftop tea sessions and visits to tea estates in Chittagong, Sreemangal, and Sylhet, where the seven-layer sat rong cha and massive CTC plantations and factories revealed yet another dimension of tea.
Later, Nepal, cradled in the arms of the mighty Himalayas, grounded me in its vast, untamed beauty. From the floral first flushes of Ilam to the comforting warmth of milky chiya and the salty richness of yak butter tea, each teapot reflected the diversity of its otherworldly landscape. After exploring tea houses and teaching tea classes in Kathmandu, and traversing the rugged trails around Pokhara on a motorbike, every moment was met with the warmth of tea, brewed by weathered hands that spoke of winter winds.
Now, I get to share these stories in tea lounges with interns here! One unforgettable evening in November, in our tea room, I recounted these surreal tales.
"I’m no Buddhist or Taoist, nor a Confucianist either, I’m a dark-faced white-haired hard-up old man. You think I just prowl the streets selling tea? I’ve got the whole universe in this tea caddy of mine.”
— Baisao, the Old Tea Seller
But now, the adventure never ends. A new chapter in Wazuka has begun, and it is forever exciting!
I was welcomed incredibly warmly by the staff, fellow assistant managers, and interns. It truly felt like I had never left, despite the fact that so much had happened between my internship and my homecoming to Wazuka.
Looking back, it is hard to choose my favourite moments of autumn here since there were so many! Firstly, I loved the autumn harvest with Akky-san in the tea fields, as well as with Miwako-san in Aoi Mori, the Blue Forest tea field. Being in the fields is truly my favourite place. We jokingly call Akky-san “the chairman without the chair,” and honestly, I understand why he wishes to be on the tea farm every day. Seeing the morning light and fog in the distance over the mountain ridges, driving through the komorebi—the sunlight filtering through the hills and forests of Wazuka—the gorgeous tea-covered slopes, and so on. It steals my breath away every single day. And somehow, feeling tired after a full day of harvesting is the most satisfying feeling to me.
Moving on, weekends, as always, are filled with more tea adventures. (When I was an intern with Alex, Justin, Patrick, Satomi-san, and Hannah, we probably didn’t spend a single weekend in Wazuka—you can read about our tea adventures here!) This time, CC, Bee, Clover, Marcello, and Vincent went to Ibukiyama together, as well as to the Machu Picchu tea fields in Gifu. As much as I would love to conquer Japan’s 100 famous mountains (Hyakumeizan) this year with a cup of tea in hand, it might have to be more of a long-term goal—being a tea farmer is quite a busy occupation after all.
My favourite teas this autumn: Sencha du vent, and Aiguille de pin Wakoucha
We often say here that “many things happen,” and indeed they do. I have countless beautiful memories—not just with interns but also with senpai assistant managers Alix et Mac. I couldn’t even count on my fingers how many times Alix and I cozily fell asleep under a kotatsu every night, making it one of my core memories of autumn. Nearly every evening, she would give me comprehensive cheese tours (look out for an upcoming tea and cheese pairing blog series!!), while I would shower her with my dream mountain destinations in Japan.
Cheese and tea pairing night with Alix, Mac, George, and Moe.
We probably went to Kasagi, a nearby village (the smallest in Kyoto Prefecture, famous for camping), almost every weekend. Our routine often included visits to our favourite coffee shop, Doors (oh dear, tea farmers drinking coffee— is this even legal??), the camping store UNFORM, or hiking up Mt. Kasagi. On the scenic, momiji-painted summit, we shared some sheng pu-erh with Miwako-san and her adorable Shiba Inu, Sakura-chan. The next day, Alix treated us to a full Urasenke-style tea ceremony experience. Former intern Sara was also here, working on the artwork for the community Obubu bus, so I was incredibly happy that she joined us for these wonderful weekend getaways.
In November, over the course of three days, we set out to craft Japanese black tea, wakoucha with senpai interns: Julie (#181), Beatrice (#182), and CC (#183)! However, with the late-autumn leaves proving tough and dry and the chilly weather complicating withering and oxidation, our motto became clear: “Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.” Undeterred, we tried their hand at a variety of creative techniques—hand-rolling, using a heater and camping tent as an oxidation chamber to boost warmth and humidity, putting tea leaves in a bag under kotatsu, steaming leaves in nabe pots, kouji scenting, roasting, and more. The results ended up being less about traditional black tea (since it was chotto impossible lol), and more about a collection of experimental teas. While the yield of black tea was modest (non-existent, khem khem), the experience offered invaluable learning, plenty of laughs, and a memory we will cherish for years to come! Thus, a great success!
Autumn wakoucha extravaganza.
There are quite a few things I’m passionate about and could ramble on about forever. Some of them include tea cultivars—especially with my saponin bro Pau (you can also check out my intern project on cultivars de thé, and if you haven’t read Pau’s Tea Nursery, you totally should! Big fan right here). Then there’s hiking and crazy adventures in general. But one of my newly discovered passions has become temomi—tea hand-rolling. That’s why one of my favorite days this autumn was spending the evening hand-rolling tea in the factory with Akky-san, Alix, Sara, and Pau. I also frequent one of my all-time favourite tea shops, Baisa Nakamura in Uji, where some serious hand-rolling action takes place time to time. With all these old and newfound loves, you can expect to see plenty of mountaintop tea sessions and temomi action from me this year as an assistant manager.
After a long hiatus due to the pandemic, Chagenkyo Matsuri (茶源郷まつり, Teatopia Festival) made a triumphant return! We had the joy of serving delicious Matcha, Hojicha, Genmaicha, and Wakoucha Lattes at the festival, while also welcoming guests into our cosy café space on the second floor of the sencha factory as part of the tea tour experience. Adding a fresh twist to the menu, intern Alayna (#186) introduced her special project: boba tea! We were thrilled to reconnect with past interns Alex (#117) et Sara (#152), who joined us to lend a hand during the festivities. It was truly heartwarming to celebrate tea and the Wazuka community once again, capped off by a dazzling fireworks display! Though our village may be small, its passion for tea shines brightly.
Following the theme of “many things happen,” George is quite famous for his sarcastic sense of humor. So when he walked into the office proclaiming that suzumebachi—giant hornets—had attacked his forehead in several rounds, we thought he was joking. He wasn’t. As a result, he spent the rest of the day in a very fashionable manner, sporting a hachimaki and an ice pack wrapped around his head. Luckily, he was fine, and such is inaka (countryside) life.
Intern (CC, Bee, and Julie) graduation: yay but super :(
As you may have read in other assistant manager blogs, legend has it that each person takes on specific leadership roles. For instance, the newsletter was passed down to me by my dear senpai Alix—so feel free to hit that subscribe button to stay updated on Obubu’s tea adventures! Some activities are shared there with monthly updates. Recently, I had the joy of working alongside Alix to deliver the latest news straight from the farm to your inbox.
In conclusion, even though I arrived in mid-October, this autumn has been incredibly eventful. Thank you so much for reading about my time in Wazuka—stay tuned for winter tea shenanigans! 🍵✨
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