Put the kettle on & enjoy an enlightening chat with the charming Charlie, a tea shop owner in London with real passion for Japanese culture. I got INSPIRED with so many TEA BREWING TIPS from talking with Charlie, and I think you will too!

A milliner by training, Charlie has established the tea shop Tencha with her husband Chris, a jeweller after they fell in love with the taste & aesthetics of all things tea in Japan on their honeymoon.

The couple study Urasenke Chado (tea ceremony) here in London and they love the link that tea has with all facets of Japanese culture, including seasonality, history, clothing, ceramics and art. Charlie want to celebrate tea & all the hard-working Japanese tea farmers! 

In this episode we talk about: 

• How Charlie was weaned on tea from the bottle!
• Tencha’s friendships with the hardworking tea growers in Japan 
• The caffeine hit in coffee ☕ vs. matcha 🍵
• PROS & CONS of Yorkshire Tea bags!
• How to prep your water for clear (NOT murky) tea 💕
• Hojicha (Charlie’s fave) for beginners

Thank you so much for listening! To read the podcast transcript, click here.

Get to know Charlie & her tea better:

• You can explore Tencha’s online shop here for a carefully curated tea range & tea making accessories, along with homeware & incense.
• Follow Tencha on Instagram to know about tea, pop-ups and markets where you can find them.

I'm SO chuffed to finally catch up with my talented friend, Yuki Gomi, a professional chef, teacher and cookery writer. I can still remember the taste of the delicious aubergine dish we made when I attended one of her wonderful Yuki's Kitchen cooking classes in her home near my old haunt, Crystal Palace, about 10 years ago!

Since then, Yuki has gone from strength to strength, with her first book 'Sushi at Home' published in 2013 by Penguin, and her Japanese cooking expertise has reached many thousands of people. Yuki has been featured in the Guardian,  Monocle Weekly, Vogue magazine, and has been on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show, to name just a few!

Alongside regular classes at her home in South London, Yuki offers courses and private lessons at special events around the world and colleges such as the prestigious Leiths School of Food & Wine.

In this episode, we chat about:

• The ubiquity of the soya bean in Japanese food
• Bacteria, mould and heritage spores
• What to do with the miso lurking at the back of your fridge
• 5 core ingredients of Japanese cooking & what they all have in common
• Why koji is magical ✨ & where to get your hands on some in London

Thank you so much for listening! To read the podcast transcript, click here.

Get to know Yuki's work better::

• Instagram @yukiskitchen
• Website https://www.yukiskitchen.com/

If the Way to Japan mission to explore the art of Japan-inspired living to be found in the UK resonates with you, click here to subscribe to the newsletter. You'll be notified of the latest podcast episodes & blogs, as well as receiving our encouraging edit of juicy, Japan-inspired recommendations.

Let's connect on Instagram! @thewaytojapan

Korekara yoroshiku onegaishimasu. ♡ Vanessa

It was SUCH a joy to speak with my writing mentor & bestselling author, Beth Kempton, who is an award-winning entrepreneur and producer of online courses, a Reiki Master, a yoga teacher, a mama of two young girls, and a self-help author whose books have been translated into more than 25 languages.

Even if you don't have a copy of her book 'Wabi Sabi', you would likely recognise it from it's gorgeous pale green cover... I see it in practically every book shop, gift shop & boutique! 

I loved speaking with Beth about what the pandemic revealed about the true nature of things, her fifth book 'The Way of the Fearless Writer', as well as this small but significant details of what tea & toast she likes best when she gets up to write at 5am!

In this episode we chat about:

• The significance of 'Wabi Sabi' in a post pandemic world!
• Why we always use pencil in diaries
• The correct pronunciation of the word 'gaseous'🤯
• Why we should make a list of things we do for ten minutes every day
• The joy of Japanese stationary & best writing notebook tips

Thank you so much for listening! To read the podcast transcript, click here.

Get to know Beth's work better:

• bethkempton.com
•  dowhatyouloveforlife.com (for all her courses)
• Instagram @bethkempton for regular writing inspiration and community challenges
• Autumn Light Writing Course -  Before October 6, listeners can get free access to a writing course called Autumn Light (a deep dive into the topic of impermanence) when you pre-order 'The Way of the Fearless Writer' book in any format (hardback/ebook/audiobook)

If the Way to Japan mission to explore the art of Japan-inspired living to be found in the UK resonates with you, click here to subscribe to the newsletter. You'll be notified of the latest podcast episodes & blogs, as well as receiving our encouraging edit of juicy, Japan-inspired recommendations.

Let's connect on Instagram! @thewaytojapan

Korekara yoroshiku onegaishimasu. ♡ Vanessa