The people behind our tea

Passion for healthy living and respect for Japan’s culture and history have driven Daiki to build a different kind of business - one that improves society and encourages others to create something new with him. Daiki and his cofounders care about producing healthy food in Japan, values that his family has instilled in him since childhood.

Three key goals lay the foundation for d:matcha's vision: sustaining the culture of Japanese tea farming and the environment, producing health from farm to table, and passing the passion for this culture on to a local and global audience.

In the metropolis of Kyoto, Misato immersed herself not just in her undergraduate studies at Kyoto University, but also in learning the traditional tea ceremony. As she learned more, she came to love the spiritual connectedness found in sharing this cultural moment with others. Wanting others to enjoy this ceremony as much as she does, Misato is passionate about offering adaptations that invite guests from all levels of knowledge into a deeper tea experience. She is also a qualified Japanese tea instructor.

Hiroki studied agriculture in Okinawa. He is passionate about farming. After completing his education, he worked for several farmers (vegetable farmers, tea farmers) to gain skills as an apprentice. Through those experiences, he has a much better understanding and knowhow about how to produce high-quality tea leaves.

Hiroki is also the chef and pâtissier for d:matcha Kyoto Café & Kitchen. His complete knowledge about tea production and consumption allow him to produce, cook, and bake premium tea products.

Born in the United States, ever since he was a child, Alan’s dream was to live in Japan. When he graduated high school, he went to a professional school for Chado (way of tea) in Kyoto for three years and received a professional degree at the age of 22. He usually enjoys whisking matcha green tea for people and even travels around with his own matcha set. He is hoping to expand his horizons by studying different Japanese influencers and even does live streams to share the world of Japanese tea.

Emma grew up in Lille, France and Los Angeles, California in a multicultural household, which sparked her love for exploring different cultures and traditions. After getting her Bachelor's and Master's at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she focused on artificial intelligence and data science, she followed her passion for Japanese tea to d:matcha Kyoto. Passionate about thoughtful design and storytelling, Emma loves blending her technical mindset with creativity to share the craft, culture, and community behind Japanese tea with the world.

Born in Niigata Prefecture, Sora has loved matcha since childhood. He decided to work at d:matcha and moved to Wazuka Town to be surrounded by the tea fields.

After graduating from a confectionery school, Sora obtained certifications as a confectionery hygiene master and Japanese tea advisor. At d:matcha, Sora mainly engages in confectionery production and farm work. Sora loves sweets and spends holidays making them or taking short trips to visit cafes.