A Couple's Journey from Singapore to a Japanese Tea Farm | Min Gao and Grace Chan

Both: Hello! We are Min Gao and Grace, a couple from Singapore, and we volunteered with Naturalitea for about 2 weeks in the spring of 2026.
G: Back in Singapore, I’m a teacher, and Min Gao works in the financial data and services industry.
MG: Grace is currently on sabbatical, but I took leave (my very limited, precious leave lol) to volunteer. So a common question when we told our friends and family that I was taking leave from work only to work on a farm in rural Japan was “Why?”
G: I think we both felt a little disenchanted with the city and wanted to experience a different way of life. My parents now own a plot of land in Malaysia where they grow various fruits and vegetables, and this kind of sparked an interest in farming for me, so I wanted to live on an actual farm to see what that might be like.
MG: I’ll just point out that Stardew Valley also played a part in that.
G: So true!! (For those who don’t know, Stardew Valley is a really cute farming game. Highly recommend.)
MG: Apart from wanting to experience a different way of life, I also have a deep passion for tea which started back in 2022 in Osaka which involved a magical tea experience at this cafe called Wad. I won’t spoil it for you, but it really inspired me to explore how tea is cultivated, processed and distributed.
G: Yup so keeping our goals in mind, our research led us to Naturalitea, which we felt ticked all our boxes.
MG: Now that our 2 weeks are coming to a close, what do you think of the experience?
G: Honestly it wasn’t easy at first: the volunteer house isn't as modern as we're accustomed to, and we also had to share a space with other volunteers. It took a few days to get used to but it helped that everyone was really friendly and considerate! Looking back, living with everyone and getting to hear about their lives really enriched the experience.

MG: For me, it took awhile to get used to how the toilets and shower are outside of the main building, so you’d have to brave the cold to get there. This experience also painted a realistic picture of how farming can be mundane at times and extra dependent on weather conditions, so some days were very slow. But ultimately, I’m glad we did it because we got the authentic tea farm/ countryside experience that we wanted.
G: What were your favourite parts?
MG: I enjoyed how Kazuki-san showed us how tea is processed in his factory and explained how balance is key. It's mindblowing how he manages every stage of the process by himself. I really admire his dedication to his craft. I also liked how Tamiko-san brought different types of tea for us to try after dinner.G: I enjoyed that too. What was your favourite? Mine was the tea blended with holy basil, which I thought was such an interesting mix!MG: Yes, I liked that as well as the Kabuse. I just feel like I've learned so much more about the effort and care that goes into tea at every stage.
G: For me, I enjoyed the fact that our hosts were welcoming and made an effort to introduce us to their friends and invite us to local festivals, like the Sakura festival. This helped me envision what life outside of Singapore/ in the countryside could be like. And even though it was tiring (RIP my knees and back), I enjoyed being out in the fields, picking debris off the plants and weeding. It’s so peaceful when you're surrounded by mountains and trees and just focusing on one task.
MG: All in all, keeping in mind our purpose for coming to the tea farm in the first place, I feel like this has been very rewarding.
G: It was definitely a unique experience for us. I mean when else will we have the time and freedom to just run off and live in the countryside? I think it's a great experience for anyone wanting to get away from the pressure and expectations of modern life. It's helped me appreciate how life can be lived in more ways than one, all of which are valuable and fulfilling.