Suginami's Japanese Tea Specialty Store, Tokyo Handaen Chaho, Holds "Sencha Seminar" at Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris! Paris's Japanese Tea Fans Gather to Experience the Culture of Brewing with a Kyusu. Expanding the Potential of Japanese Tea Culture Beyond the Matcha Boom to the World.

Tokyo Handaen Chaho Co., Ltd. (Head office: Suginami-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Minoru Handa), which operates a Japanese tea retail and wholesale business, is pleased to announce that it held "Le sencha Japanese Sencha Culture ~ Experience Seminar Découverte du thé vert japonais" for local residents at Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris in Paris, France, on February 21, 2026.

Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris

▼ "Le sencha Japanese Sencha Culture ~ Experience Seminar Découverte du thé vert japonais" details page
https://www.mcjp.fr/fr/la-mcjp/actualites/le-sencha

## Background: The Expanding Circle of Japanese Tea Worldwide

Amidst growing global interest in Japanese tea, Tokyo Handaen Chaho has continued its activities to promote the deliciousness and enjoyment of Japanese tea both domestically and internationally, under the slogan "Japanese tea culture to the next generation." As part of this effort, a workshop was held at Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris, Europe's premier hub for Japanese culture, located near the Eiffel Tower, with Representative Handa himself serving as the instructor.

## Seminar Report: A Lively Workshop

A total of three sessions were held on the day, with 6 participants in each session, totaling 18 participants.

Reservations for the workshop were fully booked almost immediately upon opening, and inquiries for additional recruitment were received by local staff, indicating the extremely high level of enthusiasm for Japanese tea among the French participants.

The key points of this seminar were the following three:

- Lecture stimulating intellectual curiosity: Explanations were given on the classification of Japanese tea and the differences in tea leaf characteristics due to steaming levels.
- Surprise through the five senses: Participants expressed surprise at the complex aromas and deep flavors, which differed from the impressions they imagined from the "color of the tea" (suishoku).
- Kyusu brewing experience: Finally, each participant actually held a kyusu (Japanese teapot) and experienced the series of actions involved in brewing tea.

Local staff gave feedback that "participant satisfaction was very high."

## Future Developments: Towards the Opening of the First Overseas Store in Surry Hills, Sydney

Tokyo Handaen Chaho intends to continue its activities to promote Japanese tea culture overseas. We are aiming to open our first overseas store in Surry Hills, Sydney, in July 2026. We want to create an experiential store that can meet the high interest in "Japanese tea culture" that we have felt in various cities around the world, starting with the seminar in Paris.

▼ Press Release: "Tokyo Handaen Chaho, a Suginami Japanese tea specialty store with over 200 years of history, challenges to open its first overseas store in Surry Hills, Sydney. Crowdfunding starts on Campfire from March 20!"
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000013.000136338.html

We are also challenging crowdfunding to raise funds for the opening during the period from March 20 to April 20, 2026. We would be grateful if you could visit the project page and support us.

## About Crowdfunding

"We want to open our first overseas store in the multicultural city of Sydney and convey the deliciousness of Japanese tea to the world!"

Period: March 20, 2026 - April 20, 2026

Target amount: 3 million yen

Purpose: To raise funds for the opening of the Sydney store, mainly for interior construction costs.

Main return gifts: Japanese tea, nori (seaweed), cookie cans

Project page:
https://camp-fire.jp/projects/930680/view

## Tokyo Handaen Chaho Company Profile

Trade Name: Tokyo Handaen Chaho Co., Ltd.
Established: March 14, 1947
Representative: Minoru Handa, Representative Director
Location: 1-14-16 Asagaya Minami, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 166-0004 (Asagaya Main Store)
5-28-7 Ogikubo, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 167-0051 (Ogikubo Store)
Phone Number: 03-3314-4187
FAX: 03-3314-4188
Contact: info@tokyohandatea.com

Online Shop: https://handaen.official.ec/
Instagram: @tokyohandaen
X (formerly Twitter): @tokyohandaen
Facebook: @tokyohandaen

Overseas Online Shop: https://www.tokyohandatea.com/
English Instagram: @tokyohandatea
English Facebook: @tokyohandatea

## Store Information

Inside "Pearl Center Shopping Street" at Asagaya Station South Exit
We handle approximately 50 types of Japanese tea, including seasonal products.

[Asagaya Main Store]
1-14-16 Asagaya Minami, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 166-0004
3 minutes walk from "Minami-Asagaya" Station on the Marunouchi Line, 8 minutes walk from "Asagaya" Station South Exit on JR Line
Business Hours: 10:00~18:00 Closed: Sundays
TEL: 03-3314-4187 FAX: 03-3314-4188

1 minute walk from Ogikubo Station South Exit