The Story of Matcha Project

From the perspective our Chase, the founder.

In 2018, I boarded a one way flight to Japan, via India (quick stop for tea), and arrived in Osaka's Itami Airport.

This was my second time in Japan in 6 months.

I was coming back to chase a passion:

TEA.

I had returned to pursue an idea that I could create something with that passion...

I got through customs, and then boarded a train, and then a few more.

I would eventually arrive in the small tea town Wazuka, Japan.

I would grow to love this place.

I would grow to love the people of this community.

And naturally I would fall in love with the tea.

It was in this place in time that the idea of what eventually became Matcha Project started to take shape.

Over the next 6 months I would tease out the idea and begin to figure out exactly what I wanted to do.

At one point I rented a traditional home in the a quiet part of Kyoto along the river.

I felt inspired here by my interactions with the locals and my continued exploration of Japanese culture. I would spend as much time as I could drinking incredible Japanese teas using spring water from nearby temples - it was surreal.

During this time I traveled all over Japan meeting tea farmers, making friends, and drinking some incredible tea.

At the end of 2018, I returned to the US and I officially launched Matcha Project shortly there after, in Austin, TX.

My goal then, ad it still is today, is to share high quality Japanese matcha with my community. It is something that has brought me much joy (and challenges) over the past 4 years.

Thanks for reading!

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Matcha Project's Mission-In-Action:

1) We want to support the Japanese tea industry.

We love Japanese tea. We want to further the mission of the Japanese tea to the world!

2) We want to support our communities.

We volunteer our time and dollars to support community enriching organizations where we live.

3) We want to support our matcha community.

We think it's important to meet people wherever they are in their matcha journey and support them however they need it.

4) We want to help our planet.

We are currently exploring the best way to get involved in supporting our planet.