Interview with Tea Blender Misuzu Miyazono
The blended tea from JAZZ & TEA is created by blending tea leaves inspired by jazz.
I spoke with tea blender 宮園三鈴, who expresses music through color and taste.
A long-time tea lover
Why did you choose to open your shop in Kurashiki?
Miyazono (honorific omitted)
I am from Okayama City, and I really loved the Bikan Historical Area. I liked everything about the town, including the atmosphere and the people. I was happy to marry my husband, who is from Kurashiki City, and become a resident of Kurashiki City.
Before starting JAZZ & TEA, I worked overseas (in Thailand). While abroad, I often heard people say, "I don't know Okayama, but I know Kurashiki. It's a nice place."
Many people were familiar with the beauty and cultural aspects of Kurashiki, and I had a desire to start something in Kurashiki.
Did you work in the tea industry while overseas?
Miyazono
I was working in logistics, which was completely unrelated to tea, in Thailand.
Thailand is close to regions known for Chinese tea and Singapore, which is famous for black tea. I thought I could go to tea places on weekends and learn a lot while working in Thailand.
I have always been interested in tea; during my student days, I worked part-time at a specialty tea shop, and I studied tea ceremony and sencha (green tea) at university. I was also interested in tea culture from abroad, so I even traveled alone to India, a tea-producing country, to write my graduation thesis.
What inspired the creation of JAZZ & TEA?
Miyazono
My husband and I love jazz, and we were discussing that "Someone to Watch Over Me" would be a nice opening BGM for our wedding. Then my husband asked, "What would it be like to express a song through tea?" That was the trigger.
"Someone to Watch Over Me" is a song about people in love.
It evokes an image of a world where everything shines as soon as you fall in love, like flowers. However, I thought it also has a bit of bitterness, like an adult love song, so I blended tea with rose petals, lavender, linden, and orange peel.
At that time, I had a hobby of collecting various teas. "Someone to Watch Over Me" was the first blend I created, and as I thought about "What would this song be like?" it became enjoyable. But I was still doing it as a hobby.
After that, I gave birth to my child, and then the COVID-19 pandemic began. In a situation where I didn't know what would happen next, I had a desire to live a life without regrets and a wish to try something that no one else was doing, combining jazz and tea.
While holding my son, who was not even one year old, I thought, "Let's just give it a try." It all started from selling at a really small flea market.
I started in 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. Events were being canceled, and I was anxious about whether I could really continue, but my desire to do what I wanted was clear. The ideas for blends kept coming.
Expressing inspiration from music through aroma, taste, and color
How do you create blended tea?
Miyazono
I listen to the song and hurriedly jot down the scenes and aroma images that come to mind. Then I assemble in my head like a puzzle the ratios of the blends that I envision, while measuring the tea leaves and other ingredients to recreate them.
My previous job involved managing facilities and dealing with numbers, so that experience is beneficial now. I enjoy turning everything into data, from the ratios of the recipe to finding the necessary raw materials and checking them against expiration dates.
Some blends take time to complete, while others come together in one go. For example, I wanted to express "C'est Si Bon" with the combination that came to mind, but I had to ensure that one aroma didn't overpower the others and that the aftertaste of green tea remained. It took time for the fine adjustments.
I am responsible for the blends, packaging, and the wording that accompanies the blended tea. My husband mainly handles the design of the packaging and photos for posters, so we have divided our roles.
Commitment to complete reservations
It's rare that not only lessons but also purchases are by complete reservation.
Miyazono
Since it is a space that also serves as a showroom, I want people to enjoy it as a special time rather than just wanting to sell blended tea. By having a complete reservation system for one group per hour, I hope that even those with babies or who are concerned about being seen can spend a relaxed time while listening to music.
If many people come at once, I won't be able to have meaningful conversations with each person, so I have implemented a complete reservation system.
I want customers to experience the excitement of choosing "What should I choose?" and the exhilaration of taking it home. I believe that they are coming to buy the experience of the shopping time, not just the blended tea itself.
Do you have any goals for the future?
Miyazono
I want to collaborate with music.
I am currently preparing for it and want to challenge myself overseas as well. It will start with selling products, but I want to continue the challenge of spreading the experience of JAZZ & TEA, which combines music and blended tea, even more abroad.
Conclusion
Incorporating jazz performances, singing, and the background of the songs, I sharpen my sensibilities to express them through blended tea. Until the interview, I had assumed that Miyazono created everything based on her sensibilities and feelings.
In reality, she blends based on the data of flavors of raw materials accumulated in her head, while facing numbers. I was surprised to find that she has a surprisingly scientific side. Each blended tea created by Miyazono is unique, and they all presented me with colors and flavors I had never encountered before.
Miyazono's recommendation is to drink the blended tea while listening to the song that inspired it. She has a playlist of the original songs available on Spotify. I enjoyed tasting and purchased Misty.
I think I will set aside some time to slowly enjoy blended tea while listening to jazz.
Data on JAZZ & TEA
| Name | JAZZ & TEA |
|---|---|
| Address | 309-1 Kamihigashi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 070-3782-1238 |
| Parking | Available 4 cars |
| Business Hours | 【Mon-Wed, Fri】 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM 【Thu, Sat】 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM |
| Closed | Sunday, public holidays |
| Payment Methods |
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| Website | JAZZ & TEA |
