Viktoryia Toma — founder of Ikigai-Shu and Ikigai-Cha Japanese Tea Academy — proudly represented the United Arab Emirates at the Annual Japanese Tea Conference in Kyoto on July 22nd, 2025.

As the official UAE representative of the Global Japanese Tea Association and the only certified catalyst for Japanese tea education in the region, she delivered an insightful presentation on the current status, awareness, and future potential of the Japanese tea category across the UAE and the Middle East.

Her address highlighted the accelerating demand for authentic, terroir-driven Japanese teas, the growing sophistication of consumers, and the importance of deeper education and cultural storytelling.
She also emphasized how Ikigai-Shu and Ikigaicha actively work to promote, elevate, and expand Japanese tea knowledge through professional certifications, public masterclasses, on-trade training, and curated retail experiences — strengthening the bridge between Japan’s multi-generational tea producers and Middle Eastern consumers.