Matcha Forum
“Matcha Connects the World”
A single bowl of matcha can connect people across borders – that is the idea behind the World Matcha Forum. This annual online charity event is organized by Yoko Kinoshita (Sushi Yoko, Winterthur, Switzerland) together with Kimono Club Switzerland.
At the first two forums, the Wajima lacquerware artisans affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake and the humanitarian work of the International Red Cross taught us that protecting culture and hoping for peace lie on the very same path.
For the 3rd forum, friends gather from even more corners of the world: Switzerland, Germany, the world of diplomacy, and a teacher from Plum Village in France who joins us all the way from Bhutan.
Each speaker shares their own “story of matcha and its homeland” through a quiz. At the end, we will whisk matcha together and share a quiet moment of meditation.
Program
Yoko Kinoshita (Sushi Yoko, Switzerland)Quiz time
Ambassador Keiichi Hara (Chief of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan / former Ambassador to 
Djibouti)Quiz time
We will use bowls made by the Wanpis people of the northern Peruvian Amazon
Plum Village, France / joining from 
Bhutan)Live demonstration by Hayashi Shuzojo, Kumamoto, Japan- Rice shochu (recommended: “Gokuraku” by Hayashi Shuzojo)
- Matcha (dissolve a small amount in hot water or water)
- Sparkling water
- Ice
- Lemon or lime juice and slices, to taste
- Shaker (a glass and a stirrer also work)
- Tea whisk (chasen) for whisking or dissolving the matcha
- Glass
Management Team
Yoko Kinoshita (Sushi Yoko, Switzerland)
Mayumi Lehmann (Germany)Where Your Donations Go
- Affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake of January 1, 2024
- The Wajima Lacquerware Hall remains temporarily closed for the time being
- The cooperative’s temporary lacquer refining facility has been completed and is now in operation
- Recovery from multiple disasters, including the Oku-Noto torrential rains, is under way
- Donations are being accepted (bank transfer, QR-code payment and international remittance available)
- One of Japan’s leading shochu regions in Hitoyoshi-Kuma, Kumamoto, with a history said to span 500 years
- Protected by Geographical Indication (GI): only shochu made in the Kuma region may be called “Kuma shochu”
- The association visited Geneva, Switzerland in February 2026
- New this year, as support for the area affected by the Kumamoto earthquake
Over a single bowl of matcha, people from Japan and around the world meet and open their hearts to one another.
We want to nurture that connection with care.
The World Matcha Forum is run entirely by volunteers.
Your warm support gives us great strength.
From one bowl of matcha, we connect the world.
We would be delighted if you would join us in taking that step.
