ShizuokaTea.com, KagoshimaTea.com, and GreenTeaMerchant were founded by Kent Rhoads.
We always honor Kent’s spirit of providing high-quality tea and customer service, and our commitment is to always retain the same level of service to all the customers.
Our first blog post is dedicated to the memory of Kent.
The following is written by Kent’s twin brother, Kirk.
Kent Roy Rhoads (09/03/1952-01/25/2020)
Kent Rhoads, founder of GreenTeaMerchant, was a pioneer of Japanese green tea internet sales from Shizuoka and Kagoshima Prefectures. Born in Columbus, Kansas and educated in Coffeyville, Kansas, he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and Accounting from the University of Kansas, and a MBA Degree from Whittier College.
Kent worked in the Appliance Industry for over 25 years in Los Angeles County, California. In 1998 he moved to Japan, and following in the footsteps of his late Mother, Marlys, he became an English teacher at the University level, and like his late Father, Jack, also an entrepreneur, he started GreenTeaMerchant in the year 1999.
Kent is respectfully and fondly remembered by many in the green tea industry in Japan, and by thousands of loyal retail and wholesale Japanese green tea patrons throughout the world.
He is survived by two older sisters, two older brothers, an aunt, an uncle, numerous loving cousins, nieces and nephews, and the love of his life in Japan, Saiko Sugiyama.