This autumn’s Japan Matcha Latte Art Competition is coming up fast, and a fierce contest is brewing.

The event gives competitors the chance to show off their flashy latte art skills, while promoting and celebrating traditional Japanese tea and tea culture.

While matcha has always remained a staple of Japanese life, modern day beverages like matcha latte and matcha frappes have given the traditional green tea a new lease of life, allowing people to enjoy it casually as one would a coffee. With its recently found popularity overseas, it’s the perfect time to celebrate matcha through a competition such as this.

The twelve competitors taking part in the event were chosen via submitted photos of their feats of green tea latte art, and only the most skilled can make it to the actual contest.

These artsy baristas will be forced to create latte greatness in real time, in front of a crowd of passionate hot beverage fans. As we reported in May, the first ever Japan Matcha Latte Art Competition took place earlier this year and attracted a boisterous congregation of over 100 eagle-eyed observers.

If you think there's no better way to spend an evening than watching creative baristas in action, it'll set you back 1500 yen for a ticket, with a high quality Tsujiki matcha latte included.

Participants have to not only impress the judges in the preliminary round, but the finals will see members of the audience with special 'judge tickets' become the deciders. These tickets can be obtained by simply paying 1000 yen extra for the entrance ticket. A small price to pay to ensure that your matcha latte pick takes the crown!

Advance tickets including both standard (1500 yen) and 'judge tickets' (2500 yen) are available online.