Matcha Moments

Rie is a wellness writer and matcha culinary specialist based in Japan. She spent her high school and university years in Canada, an experience that shaped her cross-cultural perspective and fluent English communication. Although she writes about matcha and Japanese tea culture today, she often jokes that she is a former "tea ceremony dropout." After briefly practicing tea ceremony as a child, she rediscovered the beauty of tea years later through matcha—approaching it in her own way with curiosity, wellness, and joy. Growing up, Rie disliked raw fish and once struggled with many aspects of Japanese cuisine. Through her mother's home cooking, she gradually learned to appreciate Japanese food—not through strict tradition, but through gentle, everyday meals. This experience inspired her mission to help people who feel intimidated by Japanese cuisine discover it in an approachable and enjoyable way. Rie incorporates matcha into her daily life as part of her mindfulness and wellness routine, exploring calm focus, presence, and balance through simple rituals such as preparing and drinking tea. Using her native Japanese and fluent English, she previously worked as an interpreter and promotional model at international trade shows, introducing Japanese food culture to visitors from around the world. Through her writing and recipes, Rie aims to make Japanese tea culture and cuisine gentle, accessible, and relevant for modern wellness—one cup, and one dish, at a time. More of her writing and recipes can be found at: https://matchamoments.jp