Moe Nakashima

How would you describe the internship in three words?

TEAmwork, incredible, in-depth

What were your expectations from the internship before you came to Obubu?                                                                                                                                       I was expecting that I could get lots of knowledge about Japanese tea from the plant to the cup, meet new people who are interested in tea from all over the world and also to improve my English skills, since it’s an international internship program.

Did the internship meet your expectations?

Yes

If you can change anything in the internship, what would it be?

During the internship, the interns lived in the Obubu house where the office is. For me it was a little bit hard to find a way to separate my personal activities from the activities that I was carrying on as an intern. I suggest to clarify both starting time and ending time for the activities carried out by the interns so that it’s clear when the interns have some personal time.

During which period have you been to Obubu?

April – July

Which year have you been to Obubu?

2016

How was a typical day during your period?

Farming, Processing, Tea tour. Because it was the time for spring harvest, a typical day would start at 8 AM to go farming, finish harvesting at 4 PM and then help Akky-san process the tea at the factory until 9 PM.

What was your best memory at Obubu?

Gyokuro hand-picking with all of Obubu’s staff and interns! We hand-picked Gyokuro from early morning until the evening and then separated the stems from the leaves until 2-3 AM.

What do you do now?

Working at Obubu with full of passion for Japanese tea!

Did the internship help you to reach your goals?

Yes