Juliette Moreau | Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms

Juliette Moreau

Amiens, France

Intern #154

Instagram : _juliette_mr

Before Obubu

I followed a rather classical path in higher education, studying agronomy and environmental management (waste, pollution, new energies). My idea behind this course is to help in the management and preservation of the environment. I’ve still got two years to go before I graduate. Even though I’ve learned a lot of theory about managing a farm and the pollution it can cause, I’d like to gain more experience in the agricultural world, both in France and abroad.

I discovered Obubu through a friend who works at Palais des Thés (a French tea company). She gave me the e-mail address of Jean, an assistant manager at Obubu, with whom I corresponded and had my interview. I didn’t know much about tea and Japanese culture. My main objective was to go off on my own and gain international experience, preferably in the agricultural sector. I think the best way to learn is to do things by yourself.

So I took a plane to Japan with a stopover in Dubai, arriving in Obubu on June 15.

During Obubu

Before arriving in Obubu I had a very limited knowledge of tea- I’ve always enjoyed it but only consumed blended teas (with things like citrus or essential oils). My arrival at Obubu opened the doors to a world I didn’t suspect. I educated myself through JTB (a course taught by fellow interns about Japanese tea), reading Simona’s book, and long conversations with passionate people. I’d like to thank everyone for the patience and sharing they’ve shown me.

I arrived two weeks after Sara, Yena, Symphony and Itsaya. So I learned day by day about the life at Obubu. I harvested, shaded, weeded, learned to make tea tours and packaging. All these experiences made me discover the technical side from harvesting to processing, but I also learned about tea through countless tea tasting session in the evening after the day’s work.

1 : Trimming in tenku on a rainy day (Justin, Akky-san, Sophie and I)

2 : Itsaya and I putting away the shading equipment

I think taking part in every stage of the tea’s creation has made me realize the time, patience and energy that a handful of enthusiasts and locals put into it every day. Which gives the tea a whole new flavour.

In Obubu, of course, I had the chance to learn about tea, but coming here also gave me the opportunity to discover Japan and its culture. I discovered the food, the history, the customs, the landscapes.

This experience confirmed my desire to travel and discover other destinations.I also met some incredible people whom I hope to meet again after this internship.

After Obubu

After my stay in obubu I’m staying in Japan until september 9th, going to mount fuji and tokyo. After that I’ll go back to my company and my studies for another 2 years. After these two years, I’d like to start traveling again. I’d like to go to Central and South America, with the same aim of discovering their agronomy and cultures. As I don’t speak a word of Japanese, I understand the importance of speaking the local language, so learning Spanish will be one of my goals for the next few years.

Now that I’ve been introduced to tea, I intend to discover more and share this knowledge with those around me. And why not work on a tea farm in another country?

I had an extraordinary experience at Obubu and I thank all the staff for that. I would also like to thank my colleagues or rather friends: Sara, Yena, Itsaya, and Symphony; my senpai Jack, Sophie, and Thomas, and my kohai Julien, Maren, Lukas and David for this incredible adventure.

3 : Jean, Sophie, Jack, Itsaya, Yena and I on a day trip in Takahama