Interview with tea blender Miyazono Misuzu
JAZZ & TEA's blended teas are made by blending tea leaves inspired by jazz.
We spoke with tea blender Miyazono Misuzu, who expresses music through color and flavor.
She had always loved tea
Why did you open your shop in Kurashiki?
Miyazono (surname only)
I’m from Okayama City, and I really loved the Bikan Historical Area. I loved everything about it—the streetscape, the atmosphere of the people. I married my husband, who is from Kurashiki City, and was happy to become a resident of Kurashiki City.
Before starting JAZZ & TEA, I worked overseas in Thailand. People abroad often told me, “I don’t know Okayama, but I know Kurashiki. It’s a lovely place.”
Many people knew about the beauty of Kurashiki and its cultural side, and I had the feeling that if I were to start something, it would be in Kurashiki.
Did you work in the tea industry overseas?
Miyazono
I worked in logistics in Thailand, which had nothing to do with tea. Thailand is close to areas in China that produce Chinese tea, as well as Singapore, which is famous for black tea. I worked in Thailand thinking I could visit tea-producing areas on weekends and learn all sorts of things.
I had always been interested in tea. I worked part-time at a specialty tea shop when I was a student, and studied tea ceremony and senchado at university. I was interested in tea cultures overseas as well as in Japan, so I even traveled alone to India, a black tea-producing region, to write my graduation thesis.
What inspired you to start JAZZ & TEA?
Miyazono
My husband and I love jazz, and we were talking about how “'S Wonderful” would be a good song for the opening music at our wedding. Then my husband asked, “What would it be like to express a song through tea?” That was the inspiration.
“'S Wonderful” is a song about people who are lovestruck. I imagined a world of flowers, as if the song were saying, “The moment I fell in love, everything began to shine.” But I thought it was a song about mature love, with a hint of bitterness, so I blended rose petals, lavender, linden, orange peel, and other ingredients into the tea.
At the time, I had all kinds of tea as a hobby. “'S Wonderful” was the first blend I made, and I started having fun thinking, “What would this song be like?” But I was only doing it as a hobby.
Then, soon after I gave birth, the COVID-19 pandemic began. With no way of knowing what might happen next, I wanted to live a life without regrets, and I also felt that I wanted to try this because jazz and tea were an unexplored form of expression.
With my son, who wasn’t even one yet, in my arms, I thought I’d just give it a try. It all began when I started selling at a really small flea market.
I started in 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. Events were sometimes canceled, and I worried whether I could really make it work, but I knew exactly what I wanted to do. The ideas for blends just kept coming.
Expressing inspiration from music through aroma, flavor, and color
How do you make blended teas?
Miyazono
I listen to a song and quickly jot down the scenes and aromas that come to mind. Then I recreate the aroma and flavor I envision by mentally piecing together the blend ratios like a puzzle, while measuring out the tea leaves and other ingredients.
My previous job was in facilities management, where I worked with numbers, and that experience helps me in my work today. I like figuring out which ingredients I need based on the recipe ratios, checking them against their expiration dates, and putting everything into data so I can look it over and create the blend.
Some blends take a long time to complete, while others come together at once. For example, with “C'est si bon,” I wanted to express the combination that came to mind, but I had to make sure one aroma didn’t overpower everything else and that the green tea’s aftertaste remained. The fine adjustments took time.
I’m responsible for the blends, packaging, and the wording that accompanies the blended teas. My husband mainly handles the package design and photos for posters, so we divide up the roles.
Why everything is by appointment only
It’s unusual to require appointments not only for lessons but also for purchases.
Miyazono
The space also serves as a showroom, so rather than simply wanting to sell blended tea, I want people to enjoy it as a special experience. By making it strictly appointment-only, with just one group per hour, I hope that even people with babies or those who feel self-conscious around others can spend a relaxing time listening to music.
If many people came at once, I wouldn’t be able to talk properly with each person, so we require appointments.
I want people to experience the excitement of choosing, thinking, “Which one should I pick?” and the thrill of taking their purchase home. We believe that people come to buy the experience of shopping, not just the blended tea itself.
Is there anything you hope to achieve in the future?
Miyazono
I’d like to collaborate with music. We’re preparing for that now, and I’d also like to take on the overseas market. It will start with selling our products, but I want to keep working to make the JAZZ & TEA experience of music and blended tea more widely known overseas, too.
From the Writer
Taking in everything from jazz performances and vocals to the stories behind the songs, Miyazono sharpens her senses and expresses it all through blended tea. Before the interview, I assumed she created her blends purely through her own sensibility and intuition.
In fact, she blends by working with numbers, drawing on the flavor data for ingredients stored in her mind. I was surprised to discover this unexpectedly analytical side of her. Every blended tea Miyazono creates is distinctive, with colors and flavors I had never encountered before.
Miyazono recommends drinking the tea while listening to the song that inspired the blend. Apparently, she has made playlists of the original songs available on Spotify. I liked the Misty I tried during the tasting and bought some.
I think I’ll set aside some time to enjoy blended tea slowly while listening to jazz.
JAZZ & TEA details
| Name | JAZZ & TEA |
|---|---|
| Address | 309-1 Kamihigashi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 070-3782-1238 |
| Parking | Available 4 spaces |
| Hours | [Monday–Wednesday, Friday] 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. [Thursday, Saturday] 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Sundays and public holidays |
| Payment methods |
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| Website | JAZZ & TEA |
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