Danielle Geva and Francois Mathieu love tea, so naturally it made up the bulk of a spring visit to the Kansai region this year.

¡°We visited a bunch of tea fields, factories, actually. I was interested in sourcing the best matcha for myself,¡± Mathieu tells The Japan Times from Toronto. ¡°I¡¯m a big tea drinker, and just wanted the best.¡±

The pair found a whole new world of tea while walking around Osaka¡¯s Shinsaibashi neighborhood. They stopped in a store to get some green tea but, rather than the usual drink, they were served ³ó¨­Âá¾±³¦³ó²¹, a variety of roasted green tea.