In Japan, there are different days of the year that celebrate tea.
While these aren’t national holidays, at least they are a good excuse for tea festivals and tea related activities.
Matcha day (抹茶の日)
Matcha day is celebrated in February 6.
This day was created by the Nishio Tea Industry Promotion Council (愛知県西尾市茶業振興協議会) in 1992.
The date was chosen because the numbers 2 (for February) and 6 can sound as “furo” in Japanese, which is the brazier used in the Japanese tea ceremony.
Kawane tea day (川根茶の日)
This day is counted as 77 nights after the first day of spring, which is April 21. It’s a traditional shincha season.
Kawane tea day was established by the Kawane Tea Road Promotion Council (川根茶お茶街道推進協議会) in Shizuoka prefecture, 2007.
Green tea day (緑茶の日)
It is the same as the 88th night, which falls on May 1 or 2 depending on the year.
This is a traditional day for picking shincha.
It was enacted by the Japanese Tea Industry Central Association (公社団法人日本茶業中央会) in 1990.
Japanese tea day (日本茶の日)
Strangely enough, there are two days in October for Japanese tea day.
The first one commemorates the Grand Kitano Tea Ceremony, which was held by Toyotomi Hideyoshi on October 1st, 1587.
The second date has to do with an even older event.
It’s considered that the monk Eisai brough tea seeds from China in October 31 of 1192. So that day is also Japanese tea day.
But I guess that it’s easily forgotten because of Halloween.
Tea day (お茶の日)
Oddly enough, this day falls on November 1st. One day after Japanese tea day.
This is the birthday of Shoichi Kokushi (聖一国師), a monk who is known as the progenitor of tea in Shizuoka prefecture because he was the first to bring tea there from China.
So, Shizuoka city established this tea anniversary in 2010.
Surprisingly, there are two more tea related memorials in that same day.
Black tea day (紅茶の日)
November 1st is also black tea day, because that day Daikokuya Kōdayū (大黒屋光太夫) was granted an audience with Catherine the Great, and it’s said that it was the first time that a Japanese person drank black tea.
For that reason, the Japan Black Tea Association (日本紅茶協会) established this date in 1983.
Genmaicha day (玄米茶の日)
The last tea day that happens on November 1st is genmaicha day.
It’s the beginning of the first rice crop of the year.
In case that you’re new to Japanese tea, note that genmaicha is a blend of green tea and roasted rice.
This day was created by the National Grain Industry Cooperative Association (全国穀類工業協同組合).
A cup of tea day (お茶一杯の日)
Finally, November 23 is a cup of tea day.
11 and 23 in Japanese can be pronounced as “ii fuumi”, meaning “good taste”.
The Kagoshima Tea Industry Chamber (公益社団法人鹿児島県茶業会議所) established this day in 2008.
