The World O-Cha (Tea) Festival is a one-of-a-kind celebration and immersion into the world of Green Tea that has been held once every three years in Shizuoka, Japan, since 2001. Shizuoka is the capital of green tea production, where lush green tea fields drape the countryside, cuisine is infused with green tea, and even hot spring experiences are rounded-out with the freshest matcha and green tea in the world!
This is Japan’s most comprehensive tea exposition. The 2022 Festival saw a record seven hundred and forty thousand participants from 20 countries. If you thought you knew everything there is to know about green tea, check this out!
Beyond tea seminars and ceremonies, the World O-Cha Festival includes engaging activities like tastings, pairings and even yoga. There are contests for the most innovative green tea products, and vendors selling the latest cutting-edge technologies in tea. Visitors can experience the 100 Famous Teas of Shizuoka, and the extraordinary creativity within the tea community, from matcha preparation workshops to intricate tea art. The 2022 Festival was notable for showcasing post-fermented teas as well as the use of satellite imagery for tea farm management.
Tea soothes the soul, and it is an integral part of Japanese culture. However, while green tea and matcha have been increasingly popular around the world, for the unique flavour and health benefits of the beverage, and also in food and in cosmetics, the rate of green tea purchased per household in Japan has been on the decline. Therefore, the stated goal of the World O-Cha Festival is to promote the health properties and social issues of green tea to younger generations, like Generation Z.
The World O-Cha Festival is held at the start of the green tea season from April 19th to May 21st at the Tea Museum of Shizuoka, the Shizuoka Tea Market, and various locations in the Tokyo metropolitan and Kansai areas. The tea season is then bookended with the main convention held from October 23rd to October 26th, 2025, at the GRANSHIP, Shizuoka Convention and Arts Centre.
