Date: Saturday, December 13, 2025
Time: 1:00pm
Cost: FREE (with paid museum admission)
Location: Morikami Theater
*No reservations. Tickets will be given out the day of the event, at a first come, first served basis. Limited tickets available.
Matcha, sencha, gyokuro, hojicha — how many kinds of Japanese green tea do you know? At this talk, Rona Tison, Tea Ambassador & Executive Advisor of ITO EN- North America, the global leaders of green tea will take you through the fundamentals of this time honored beverage. Learn how to best brew and drink the teas, the health benefits you may expect, and the new trends in the world of tea.
Meet the Speaker
A tea industry connoisseur with a refined approach to the U.S. Japanese culture, Rona Tison is the Tea Ambassador & Executive Advisor to ITO EN (North America) INC., Japan’s #1 green tea brand and global leaders of premium and sustainably grown green tea, matcha and healthy beverages. Pioneering the groundbreaking innovation of the first unsweetened bottled green tea, Oi Ocha today has earned international acclaim and is enjoyed in 40 countries worldwide. The company has received numerous awards to include recognition as one of “50 Companies Changing the World” by FORTUNE for its commitment to sustainability and the revitalization of tea farms through its Tea Region Development Project, and its proprietary tea leaf recycling program.
In addition to her role at ITO EN, Tison serves on the Board of the Tea Association of the USA, the Advisory Board of the Global Tea Initiative at University of California, Davis and the, the U.S.-Japan Council and and member of the Tea & Herbal Association of Canada. She has been a speaker at the World Tea Expo, the United Nations, Shizuoka World Tea Festival, James Beard House and Smithsonian Lecture Series. She received the “2017 John Harney Lifetime Achievement Award” for her educational contributions to the tea industry, the first woman to ever receive this award.