In recent years, the market for Taiwan’s bubble tea has grown significantly in Japan. As its popularity continues to increase, the Taiwan Cultural Center in Tokyo is hosting an exhibition at the Centre's gallery from July 7 until Aug. 31 to showcase the culture of Taiwanese tea as well as a selection of tea wares used in the preparation and drinking of tea.
Tea wares made of a variety of materials, including porcelain, wood, metal, colored glaze, and silver, by Taiwanese artists such as Chang Ching-yuan (張清淵), Lin Kuei-sheng (林貴生), Lin Kuo-shin (林國信), Hsu Wen-lung (許文龍) and Tseng Jing-shiau (曾靖驍) will be on display at the gallery. Visitors will also see a tea table display designed by artist Huang Shu-man (黃淑滿). The tea ware laid out on the table display is the work of Su Bau-tsai (蘇保在), who created the ceramic piece with a modern twist.
The exhibition will feature 65 pieces of creations, boosting the aesthetic appeal of tea wares that are made of different materials; while the tea table display creates an atmosphere that allows visitors to immerse themselves in the innovative approaches of traditional Taiwanese tea ware.
Attending the opening of the exhibition on July 7, Taiwan's Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said that visitors will be able to experience Taiwan’s tea culture and the diversity of Taiwanese tea ware through the exhibition and experiential activities, which help bring the taste of Taiwanese tea to Japan and make more people fall in love with Taiwanese tea.
According to Taiwan Cultural Center in Tokyo, in order to reach out to more people in the Kanto and Kansai regions, Taiwanese tea wares and a wide range of tea selections will be available at Oolong Market in Osaka’s Kintetsu Department Store from July 14 through 30. It is hoped that this event will broaden the Japanese people's knowledge of Taiwan's tea culture, which will help the Taiwanese tea market to continue to expand its horizon.