IKKYU 2025

Behind The Scenes

2025 IN PICTURES

Across Kyushu, and Beyond

As 2025 comes to an end, we wanted to share with you a few pictures taken during our trips in Kyushu over the year.

From Yame, to Kagoshima, Ibusuki, Chiran, Satsuma, Sasebo, we felt grateful each time for being able to meet our partners, feel their welcoming and of course enjoy their teas.

Many of these pictures could not make it in our newsletters, and it would have been a shame not sharing these with you. They also include a few snapshots from daily Japan as we were travelling.

So, please sit back, take your warmest blanket, your preferred tea,and travel along with us.

Kagoshima - Ibusuki - Satsuma

During this 3 days trip, Lilly, Aldo and Sergio, one of Aldo longlasting friend, our team was able to meet again with Orita san, as well as the Yamaguchi family.







Yame

Where we met again with Kakuda san and were able to visit his wonderful tea fields nested in the Yame valley just before the first harvest.





Nagasaki - Sasebo

A trip that brought Aldo, Lilly and Jeremy deep into Nagasasi prefecture, near Sasebo. In order to access Kitamura san's tea fields we needed the guidance of one of his friends as even the GPS got lost :) Currently only avaialbe to our wholesale customers we will soon also offer Kitamura san's products in our shop




Yame - Kurokimachi

This time Lilly, Mutsumi, Jeremy were the lucky ones and could visit Shintaro Tokunaga san, winner of the top prize at the 2025 National Tea Competition for his Dento Hon Gyokuro. At 37, he is only one of two people under 40 to ever have received this honor. A wonderful and humbling encounter, the amount of dedication for his achievement are truly incredible.

All Around Japan

Here you will find a few snapshots taken during the trips in Kyushu, but also many other parts of Japan. They also include some daily pictures from Fukuoka, and most practiced sport among the IKKYU team: Aikido.

Fukuoka - Noke

And because we are often asked about the IKKYU mascot, Marcello the cat, we are happy to say he is still loves travelling and directing operations...