How a childhood memory, two cultures, and a lifelong curiosity became Touge Chaya.
A Childhood Memory of Matcha
My earliest memories of matcha go back to my grandmother's house in Japan.
My grandparents lived in a traditional Japanese home with a large tatami room, sliding fusuma doors, shoji screens, and a tokonoma alcove. My grandmother studied Japanese tea ceremony, and she had all the beautiful bowls and utensils that went along with it.
Sometimes she would call me over to sit beside her, watch, and try a little of the ceremony myself.
As a child, I didn't particularly like green tea. I found sencha bitter, and matcha was even more bitter!
Back then, matcha wasn't something I associated with sweet lattes or colourful café drinks. To me, it was something prepared traditionally, in a bowl, with hot water and a bamboo whisk.
I remember being taught to rotate the tea bowl three times before drinking, and to appreciate the bowl itself. Of course, as a little girl, I had no idea what I was supposed to appreciate. I just followed the instructions, turned the bowl, and drank the bitter tea in three sips.
What I enjoyed wasn't necessarily the taste. It was sitting with my grandmother, learning something from her, and being part of her world.
As a child, matcha tasted quite bitter to me, but there was always something about its flavour that I liked.
Back then, matcha was something I mainly associated with traditional tea ceremony. I don't remember seeing matcha lattes in cafés, and I hadn't really discovered all the different ways matcha could be enjoyed.
Later, I began discovering matcha ice cream, matcha chocolate, and other matcha-flavoured treats. Suddenly, I could enjoy that familiar flavour in a completely different way.
Before I knew it, matcha had become my favourite flavour. Whenever there was a matcha option, that was usually what I chose.
Looking back, I don't think my taste had really changed. I had simply discovered new ways to appreciate something that had been part of my childhood all along.
Finding a Different Perspective in Canada
I moved to Canada about twenty years ago, and living here changed the way I saw both Japan and myself.
Growing up in Japan, I took many things for granted: the long traditions, craftsmanship, attention to detail, technology, and everyday cultural practices. They were simply part of life.
It was only after leaving Japan that I began to recognize how much people elsewhere admired those things. I started appreciating my own culture in a way I hadn't before.
But Canada taught me something equally valuable.
I love the slower, more casual pace of life here, especially in the Kootenays. People are warm and approachable, and there's room to take your time, explore your interests, and appreciate small things.
Japan has many qualities I admire, but everyday life can also feel very structured, formal, and busy. Living in Canada gave me a different kind of freedom—the time and space to be curious, creative, and more aware of the little things that make me happy.
I also love Canada's multicultural character. People are interested in discovering foods and traditions from all over the world.
And that got me thinking.
Sharing Something Worth Discovering
Japanese food is already loved in Canada. Sushi restaurants are everywhere, but outside larger cities, many other parts of Japanese food culture are still difficult to find.
I began wondering what I could introduce that people might enjoy discovering.
Interestingly, hojicha was one of the first things I wanted to share.
Matcha has become popular around the world, but hojicha—a wonderfully aromatic roasted Japanese tea—is still unfamiliar to many people.
I thought matcha could be a familiar starting point. Someone might come looking for matcha and discover hojicha, Okinawan kokuto black sugar, or a beautiful tea bowl they'd never seen before.
It wasn't about introducing something simply because it was unusual. I wanted to share things I genuinely loved and believed other people might appreciate too.
Another experience stayed with me from my early days in Canada: discovering sweetened bottled green tea.
In Japan, I had always known green tea as something enjoyed without sugar. So tasting a bottled green tea that was overwhelmingly sweet came as quite a surprise!
It made me think about something I value in Japanese food culture: appreciating the character of the ingredients themselves.
The Japanese word sozai (素材) means ingredients or materials. To me, it's about recognizing what makes an ingredient special rather than covering it up.
Good matcha and hojicha have their own complex flavours. They don't necessarily need a lot of sweetness or additional flavouring to be enjoyable.
That doesn't mean I dislike creative drinks or sweet treats. I love experimenting with them! But I prefer ingredients that complement one another rather than overpower each other.
That's also why I love kokuto. Used thoughtfully, its rich, complex sweetness can add depth to a drink while allowing the tea's character to come through.
A Lifetime of Trying New Things
While raising my three children in Canada, life was certainly busy. But I always found myself wanting to learn or make something.
I started sewing clothes for my children, eventually making enough to sell some at local craft fairs and markets. I loved seeing people discover the Japanese fabrics and designs I used.
Over the years, I explored different creative hobbies and DIY projects. I've always enjoyed making things with my own hands and finding ways to put my personal touch on them.
Even driving became a new interest. Learning to drive a manual-transmission car changed how I felt about being behind the wheel. I discovered how much I enjoyed driving a car that appealed to me aesthetically, especially one I could personalize and make my own.
I've also spent a lot of time studying, exploring subjects such as pre-med, biology, and accounting.
I don't necessarily love every subject I've studied, but I love what learning gives me.
Biology changed how I understand nature. Accounting helped me understand how businesses and money work. Creative hobbies taught me how satisfying it is to make something with my own hands.
The more I learn, the more interesting the world becomes.
And eventually, I realized that I wanted to bring these different parts of myself together.
That's what Touge Chaya is to me: a combination of everything I've experienced, learned, and loved.
Meeting the People Behind the Tea
In May 2026, I travelled to Japan to meet tea suppliers and taste different teas.
I met three suppliers, each with their own history, approach, and philosophy.
Some of these businesses have been passed down through generations for more than two centuries. It's remarkable to think about the knowledge and traditions preserved over such a long time.
But what impressed me most wasn't simply their history.
It was the conversations.
Each supplier had their own way of thinking about tea, what makes it special, and what they wanted people to understand about it. Some perspectives were deeply traditional, and others challenged me to think differently.
I came away with tremendous respect for the people I met.
I realized I didn't just want to bring their tea to Canada. I wanted to share some of the stories, care, and philosophy behind it.
Those experiences helped shape the teas I eventually chose for Touge Chaya.
And there are many more stories from those visits that I'd love to share.
The Journey Continues
Touge Chaya is still very much a work in progress.
I'm experimenting with recipes, learning pottery, exploring ceramics and tea tools, and constantly discovering things I want to understand better.
Some experiments work beautifully. Others don't quite turn out the way I imagined. But I enjoy the process of learning, adjusting, and trying again.
That's what I hope to share here in The Journey.
There will be stories about Japanese tea and the people who make it, thoughts about Japanese culture and life in Canada, pottery experiments, recipes, and perhaps a few unexpected discoveries along the way.
I don't know exactly where this journey will take me.
But that's part of what makes it interesting.
Every journey deserves a pause.