Photo= The chosen Uji tea ladies: Kitagawa, Tanaka, Toji, Igarashi (from left) (The tea industry center, Uji, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture)

A ceremony was held at the tea industry center by "Kyoto-fu Cha Kyodo Kumiai," or Kyoto Tea Cooperative, for four women chosen to be the 2014 "Uji Tea Ladies," who are responsible for promoting Uji tea. Minami Kitagawa, a senior at Ryukoku University, in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, was chosen for the grand prize.

Every year, the association solicits applications from women who like Uji tea. This year marks the fifth screening and there were a total of 39 entries with participants from seven prefectures, including Kyoto, Shiga and Osaka, who were selected by application screening and interviews.

The other three chosen women are Ayuko Tanaka, a company employee from Kasumizaka, Kyotanabe City, Kyoto Prefecture, Yui Igarashi, a gymnastics instructor from Ogura-cho, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, and Seira Toji, a junior at Kansai University from Hirakata City, Osaka Prefecture.

Over the next year, the four women will take part in PR events and business entertainment for Uji tea. They expressed their dedication, stating, "We want to convey the good taste of Uji tea to many people."