Alyssa's Tea Journey
Otsukaresama-desu! was one of the first phrases I learned upon arriving at d:matcha. While it is societally used to wish your peers good work today, its literal translation is “you look tired”. After a full month and a half of living, working, and embracing the heart and soul of d:matcha, I’ve realized that otsukaresama, though appears awfully rude at face-value, turns out to be a beautifully reflective statement on the joys of labor—and one of my biggest takeaways from a summer of endless learning.
As I approach my junior year of college and thus prime timing to secure corporate internships and return offers, it was an admittedly odd and risky decision to intern at d:matcha. A part of my suburban-grown self was doubtful, of my life choices and its impact on my future and of my ability to keep up with the intensity of farm work. It was just last July that I visited d:matcha as a tourist and—marveling at the workers’ endurance to the sweltering heat—questioned whether or not I was really capable of living out my matcha lover’s dream.
It turns out, my time at d:matcha has been transformative beyond anything I could have imagined (indeed way more valuable than any normal 9-5 desk job). I have witnessed and learned from the pinnacles of passion manifested as dedication, meticulous intention, and pure hard work: the farming team who wake up daily at 6:30am to weed amidst typhoons and lug 15-kilo bags of tea leaves in 35 degree heat; the obasans who pack tea for hours on end; Daiki-san, who is unafraid of an extra hour of work if it meant sustainability and tradition are woven into every step of the process. At the end of the day, our bodies are bruised, beaten, and aching (and perhaps even bloody from the leeches!), but our spirits and our hearts are filled with the greatest joy and contentment.
It has been especially fulfilling to participate in a full harvest cycle, witnessing and living through an entire chapter of a tea tree’s life, from trimming and shading to harvesting and processing. As my internship comes to an end, so does the summer harvest season, and it all feels so serendipitously full-circle.
I have absolutely cherished every moment with the wonderful d:matcha team, each interaction an opportunity to learn something new and master the art of living life to the fullest. I look back fondly at the long days of shoveling matcha powder into packages, washing dishes alongside the obachans, and weeding rows upon rows of ferns just as much as I enjoyed biking into downtown Wazuka on my off-days, overdosing on caffeine at local cafes, testing homemade ice cream flavors with Emma-Chan, frolicking in the river after work, playing soccer with my co-intern Keishi, and water gun fighting with Haru-kun, Daiki-san’s 6-year-old son. I will miss the blaring 8am town alarm marking the start of each workday, the hum of the harvest machines, and the white noise of euphonic bird chirpings; the countryside sunsets and the whistling of wind on my face as I sit passenger-side of an iconic kei truck; the feeling of dirt dressing my skin and salty, sunblock-infused droplets sizzling and taunting the edges of my eyes. Above all, I will miss the family I have found halfway across the world.
Otsukaresama, d:matcha. I will be back!
