Determined to bridge the gap between what was available and what was possible, Gina embarked on a journey to Japan — immersing herself in the rich traditions and meticulous practices of matcha cultivation. She walked the shaded rows of Uji's ancient tea gardens, sat with fourth-generation producers in Yame, and traced the nuanced differences in terroir across Shizuoka, Miyazaki, and the highlands beyond.

It was in Uji where Gina formed an exclusive partnership with Tsujirihei Honten — a tea house whose heritage and craft date to 1860, and whose matchas had never before been available outside Japan. The relationship was not merely commercial. It was a shared conviction: that the world deserved access to matcha of genuine provenance.

From this immersion, Gina established Maison Koko with a clear and heartfelt mission: to offer the most authentic matcha experience by sourcing directly from Japan's finest boutique farms — single-cultivar, fully traceable, and crafted with the same reverence as the day she first encountered matcha in Paris.

Maison Koko embodies the meeting of cultures. Rooted in Korean heritage, crafted in partnership with Japan's most respected heritage tea producers, shaped in Australia, and inspired by French elegance — the brand celebrates the beauty that emerges when tradition, craftsmanship, and refinement transcend borders. No single origin could have produced what Maison Koko has become. It required all four.