TEA FACTORY GEN Tea Was Served at the G7 Hiroshima Summit

On May 19, 2023, our tea was served on three occasions during the dinner gathering of world leaders held at Iwaso, a long-established ryokan on Miyajima, as part of the G7 Hiroshima Summit.

https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/gaiko/summit/hiroshima23/topics/detail010/

I was delighted to hear that several world leaders asked for additional servings of our tea. In that moment, many of the difficulties and challenges we had faced seemed to fade away, and I felt that our efforts had truly been rewarded.

The G7 Hiroshima Summit, which concluded successfully yesterday, was a particularly meaningful event for me as someone from Hiroshima.

My grandfather and several relatives were exposed to the atomic bombing in Hiroshima City. Even in their later years, they rarely spoke about their experiences. The bomb destroyed culture and history in an instant, and Hiroshima was once said to be a place where not even grass would grow. I have nothing but respect for the people of Hiroshima who rebuilt the city through their resilience and determination.

In fact, it was the atomic bombing that first led me to pursue tea.

As one of the people of Hiroshima who struggled with the sense of loss left behind after so much culture disappeared in an instant, I found myself searching for a sense of Japanese identity. Along that journey, I encountered tea, and through it, I was able to regain confidence and pride.

I am deeply grateful that tea gave me an opportunity, however small, to contribute to something connected with the pursuit of peace in the world.

I will continue to devote myself sincerely to tea.

Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Iwaso for giving us this opportunity.