Sakao Japanese Tea : 4 Generations of Tea Practitioners

For generations, the Sakao family has dedicated itself to preserving the art of Japanese tea. Reina Sakao, fourth-generation heir to a family tea house, carries forward a tradition that began more than a century ago, when her great-great-grandfather started exporting Shizuoka tea beyond Japan during the Meiji era. At a time when Japanese green tea was first introducing the world to Japan’s tea culture, the Sakao family was already sharing its exceptional products and expertise abroad.

Throughout the generations, the family has carefully preserved its knowledge and distinctive methods of tea leaf processing, upholding the high standards that define its tea collection. Today, Reina continues this legacy in Montreal, where she founded the Canadian branch of her family’s tea house, offering carefully selected Japanese teas and accessories to cafés, shops, restaurants, and individual customers.

But for Reina, tea is much more than a beverage. It is an invitation to discover Japanese culture, embrace the present moment, and find a little serenity in everyday life.

Her passion for cha-no-yu, the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, began at the age of 14, when she started learning from her grandmother. Today, she is a first-degree Urasenke tea ceremony instructor (Junkyōju), sharing this centuries-old art through festivals, corporate events, and private gatherings across Canada. Inspired by the example of her grandmother, who also traveled abroad to share the tea ceremony, Reina is proud to continue her family’s tradition of cultural exchange.

Known as Madame Matcha, Reina hopes to introduce people to the richness of Japanese tea culture beyond matcha itself. Through the teas she selects, the accessories she offers, and the ceremonies she hosts, she invites everyone, regardless of their background, to experience the beauty of cha-no-yu: taking time for oneself, appreciating the beauty of a moment, and finding harmony in the everyday.

Try Sakao's teas, available in single bags or in a set of 3 teas.