Japan's legendary tea industry was in decline until they made one decision: to do an "Erasmus" in Zambia

A tea farmer in Kakegawa, Shizuoka, used lessons learned during a JICA volunteer stint in Zambia to rethink how Japanese tea farms can survive.

Facing falling profits and fewer growers, he launched agrotourism and tea-plantation training to create new income streams.

The effort turns agricultural know-how from Africa into a model for reviving a traditional Japanese industry through tourism, education, and diversification.