Matcha as a Global Cultural Practice

This talk session explores matcha as a cultural product that has gained global popularity beyond Japan. This talk will provide an overview of matcha, its cultural and historical background, contemporary consumption in Japan and abroad, and ongoing debates surrounding authenticity, sustainability, and commercialization.

The session will feature a special guest, Reina Sakao (Madame Matcha), a tea practitioner who will share her personal and professional perspectives on the past, present, and future of matcha and tea practices. She will also offer a brief demonstration.

You will be invited to examine the familiar everyday practice of matcha through traditional, critical, and global lenses. Guided by a professional practitioner, you will engage in discussion and reflection on how matcha is practiced and understood across cultures.

This event is part of the "Exploring World Languages and Cultures: Lessons from Japanese Culture" series, organized as part of the EmpowerGrad events by the CSLP in collaboration with Concordia Japanese Language and Culture Community.