Shiga Prefecture is said to be the birthplace of Japanese tea. The origin of Japanese tea is said to date back to 1200 years ago, in the early Heian period, when Saicho, the founder of the Tendai sect of Buddhism, brought back seeds from Tang China and planted them at the foot of Mount Hiei. We visited Mr. Haruki Fujimura, representative director of “Greentea Tsuchiyama,” a tea farmers’ cooperative in Shiga Prefecture, which is working to pass the baton of the tea industry to the future.

Tea production area developed in the Edo period (1603-1867)

Tsuchiyama-cho, located in the southeastern part of Shiga Prefecture, boasts the largest tea production and cultivation area in the prefecture. 805, Saicho, who returned from Tang Dynasty China, introduced tea cultivation to Omi Province, which is now Shiga Prefecture, and tea production also began in Tsuchiyama. Since Tsuchiyama was an inn town on the Tokaido Highway, tea was sold to people passing by, and its production expanded dramatically in the Edo period ( 1603-1867). At its peak, Tsuchiyama used the same tea leaves as green tea to make black tea and export it overseas, but this became difficult after World War II began, and the region gained a foothold as a producer specializing in green tea.

Tea that can be enjoyed from the second brewing

There are several traditional tea production areas in Shiga Prefecture, such as Asamiya and Masadokoro, but Tsuchiyama is characterized by rolling hills with long hours of sunlight, rich underground water from the Suzuka mountain range, and a temperature difference between day and night. This makes it possible to grow long, thick tea leaves, which have a strong flavor and aroma, and are said to be delicious even after the second or third brewing. Characterized by its elegant, mild, and deep flavor, it has long been a specialty of Shiga Prefecture.

Producing “Kabusecha” with a strong flavor

Another characteristic of Tsuchiyama is that it is known as a famous producer of “Kabusecha” tea. Kabusecha is a type of tea in which tea leaves are covered with a cloth or other covering before plucking to suppress the production of catechins and enhance the flavor and sweetness of the tea. The tea leaves that have been covered for a longer period of time are called “gyokuro,” and those that have been dried without being rubbed are called “tencha. Tencha is ground into a powder using a millstone, and this powder is called matcha, which is used in the tea ceremony.

Kabusecha production is thriving in Tsuchiyama, and has a solid track record, winning first place in Japan in the kabusecha category of the National Tea Fair.

Healing Tea from Tsuchiyama to the World

Haruki Fujimura is the representative director of “Green Tea Tsuchiyama,” an agricultural cooperative that produces tea with the concept of “bringing healing tea to the world. He has been in the tea industry since he was 22 years old, and has been in the business for 30 years this year. He wanted to acquire knowledge and skills beyond just making tea, so he became a certified Japanese tea instructor, also known as a “tea sommelier,” and is also involved in training young people at an agricultural university as an agricultural instructor.

In Tsuchiyama, many growers have traditionally produced Kabusecha, but about five years ago, we started producing about two thirds of our tea from Tencha, which is used to make Matcha. Japanese matcha has been booming overseas for the past few years, and the need for tencha will increase even more in the future.

Although the region as a whole has been increasing the percentage of its tea production from tencha processing every year, the price of tea itself has been declining in recent years, and producers are now facing a difficult situation.

From individual competition to regional cooperation in tea production

In order to overcome the difficult situation surrounding tea farmers, various reforms are being implemented in Tsuchiyama. One of these reforms is the establishment of an agricultural cooperative, Greentea Tsuchiyama.

One of the features of our company is that each member of the corporation is a farmer, but we all share the same fields and factories. In tea production areas, even though the factory is shared, it is rare to find an organization in which everyone shares the same fields. There is no such thing as an individual farm, but rather a system in which everyone works together to increase sales,” says Mr. Tsuchiyama.

Green Tea Tsuchiyama was originally established by Fujimura’s father in cooperation with five tea farmers.

At the time, when most tea farms were privately owned, many farmers were trying to ship their products as quickly as possible in a small area, which caused shipping times to overlap. To prevent this, Greentea Tsuchiyama was established to promote the joint purchase of fertilizers and the joint use of factories. Today, many young farmers belong to the company, and it has grown to the point where it produces about one-tenth of all tea produced in Shiga Prefecture.

Overcoming the adversity of being called a “cheap production area

Green Tea Tsuchiyama handles all aspects of tea production in-house, from cultivation to processing and sales. In 2018, the company built a new factory for tencha, the first in the prefecture, with the aim of producing its own tencha, the raw material for matcha, to boost sales and meet demand for the tea in a wide range of products such as chocolate and confectionery.

The factory is located in the Tsuchiyama area, where frost occurs in early spring, so the early sprouts are damaged by the frost. Tea can only be harvested safely in Tsuchiyama after May, the middle of the season. It has often been said that “Tsuchiyama is an inexpensive production area” because the harvest here begins when harvesting is completed in all production areas in Japan, and the tea can finally be shipped when the price of new tea has dropped completely. So, in order to survive, we need a stronger ground than other production areas,” he says.

Original products that meet the needs of the times and applications

At the same time as establishing a tea production system, the company is also focusing on the development of original products.

KOKUTAN,” with its luxurious black packaging, is a special Kabusecha blending two varieties, a gem that offers the sweetness of “Sae-midori” and the refreshing crispness of “Okumidori”. It is made from the most aromatic and rich tea leaves harvested at Greentea Tsuchiyama.

Other products include Hakuji, a top-grade Kabusecha tea that is mild and recommended for daily use, and Hekiryoku, an extra-grade sencha with a refreshing aroma and moderate astringency.

Developing sweets to enjoy with tea

In an effort to further expand its product lineup, the company has begun developing products other than tea leaves, including “Matcha Financier” and “Roasted Tea x Benifuuki Financier,” the first processed foods made with the company’s own tea, which went on sale in 2020. We thought, “Why not have confections that are not limited to tea leaves alone? The development of confections that go well with tea has been well received by employees and customers alike. Mr. Fujimura’s goal is to increase the number of original products using tea, such as chocolates and cookies, and eventually sell them in his own stores.

Bringing the potential of tea to the future through the efforts of the entire tea-producing region.

In 2022, a team of tea farmers, tea artisans, and agricultural cooperatives will launch a new hojicha brand called “Tsuchiyama Overnight Hoji. This initiative was started to make the name “Tsuchiyama” widely known. The tea leaves grown with great care in Tsuchiyama-cho are left to wilt naturally overnight (12 hours or more) to lose water, which gives the tea a flowery aroma. When the tea leaves are roasted, the sweet aroma of Taiwanese tea is followed by a savory aroma unique to hojicha, making it a tea that goes well with both Japanese and Western-style teas and meals. The tea is named “Overnight Hoji,” and is sold in a variety of variations by several businesses participating in this initiative.

I consider tea to be a luxury item, just like alcohol. In the past, people thought it was enough to just make tea as it is and sell it, but now I feel that the ideal way for a production center is to make tea that they can truly enjoy through trial and error, and then promote it. How many people can we create who will appreciate the taste of Tsuchiyama’s tea? That is what is necessary to continue tea production. With an eye on the future of tea, they are expanding beyond the boundaries of producers and companies. We look forward to the new challenges ahead for Mr. Fujimura and his team.

The post Green Tea Tsuchiyama” to explore the future and possibilities of tea in Omi, the birthplace of Japanese tea / Koka City, Shiga Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Founded about 180 years ago, it opened tea plantations in Kyoto from 1830 to 1843 and
began exporting Japanese tea when the port of Kobe opened.
It is also known for being the first store in Japan to serve coffee in its stores.
It can be said to be the origin of Japanese coffee shop culture.

Kobe Motomachi Dori Shopping Street is a representative of the exotic city of Kobe. The sweet and fragrant aroma of tea wafts through the air. Looking down, you see Houkodo, a long-established Uji tea shop. We asked Mr. Yasuyuki Vinoda, the sixth generation owner of this tea store with a history of about 190 years and one of only 15 people in Japan to hold the title of “tea master 10th dan,” about its history and the secrets behind the tea that has been loved for centuries.

Houkodo, a long-established tea shop with a 190-year history

Houkodo has a long history, having been established about 190 years ago. It began in the Edo period (1830-1843) when Genbei Higashi, the founder, opened his own tea garden in Higashiwazuka Village (present-day Wazuka Town) in Yamashiro Province, the main production area of Uji tea, and began to sell his tea throughout Japan. The tea’s fragrance was highly praised, and in 1858 he became a purveyor to the Matsudaira family, and received the current trade name ” Houkodo,” which means ” to keep the fragrance forever.

Location of the origin of coffee culture

What is interesting about Houkodo is that it was the first company in Japan to import coffee, in addition to its famous teas. After the fall of the Edo shogunate, the company established a base in Kobe and began exporting Japanese teas, importing coffee at the same time. This is even written about in textbooks. In addition to its early involvement in exporting Japanese tea to the rest of the world, Houkodo is truly the originator of Japan’s coffee shop culture. Yasuyuki Vinzuda, a tea master, is the modern-day inheritor of Houkodo’s history.

Tea master, Yasuyuki Suda, who succeeded the name “Azuma Genbei,” the sixth generation of the tea masters.

Mr. Kyoyuki Suda, the sixth generation of the tea master “Azuma Genbei,” who inherited the name of the founder “Azuma Genbei” from generation to generation and continues to carry on the history of Hokkodo, is a tea master of Hokkodo, pursuing delicious tea every day using traditional production methods and techniques. On this day, in addition to observing the tea ceremony, Nakata also tried his hand at gougumi. Gogumi is the process of blending teas of different varieties and steaming conditions to create a high-quality, beautiful tea. It is the last process that determines the taste and aroma of the tea we consume, and it is the process in which the tea master’s skill is tested the most. Nakata’s goal is to create “the finest Genmaicha,” which goes well with meals. He blends four or five types of tea leaves while listening to the characteristics of each tea leaf. The result this day was a bright green Genmaicha. It was easy to drink because it was not too rich, but did not lose its aroma.

Originally, a tea master was a person who produced tea. However, tea cannot be drunk simply by plucking the leaves that have grown up. Nowadays, a tea master is a person who has mastered the traditional processes to bring out the best flavor of tea, such as “gougumi,” “hiire,” and “toumi,” in which the leaves are picked and the lighter parts of the tea are sorted out by wind power. The number of people who have mastered the traditional process of extracting umami from tea is 15 in the past 70 years.

There have been 15 in 70 years. What is a Chashi-Judan?

The great thing about Mr. Vinoda is his ability to identify the characteristics of the tea. The National Tea Judging Technique Competition is held only once a year, where tea connoisseurs compete in their ability to appraise tea in four categories: variety, tea season, production area, and aroma. The title ” Chashi Judan ” is given to tea masters who have achieved the most excellent results in this competition and obtained the highest rank of Judan. Mr. Vinoda holds this title. Surprisingly, in the 70 years since the competition began, only 15 people have earned this title.
Therefore, although it is not a national qualification, it is considered a very prestigious title in the industry.

Nakata also tries his hand at goukumi

On this day, in addition to observing, Nakata also tried his hand at gougumi. Gogumi is the process of blending teas of different varieties and steaming conditions to produce a high-quality, beautiful tea. It is the last process that determines the taste and aroma of the tea we consume, and it is the process in which the tea master’s skill is tested the most. Nakata’s goal is to create “the finest Genmaicha,” which goes well with meals. He blends four or five types of tea leaves while listening to the characteristics of each tea leaf. The result this day was a bright green Genmaicha. It is easy to drink because it is not too rich, yet it does not lose its aroma.

Usually, hojicha and genmaicha are made from inferior-grade tea leaves, such as second- and third-grade tea leaves. Nakata dared to blend high-grade tea leaves and powdered green tea to create a tea that is both refreshing to drink and aromatic to enjoy. This was met with instantaneous response to his goal, and the skill of Mr. Vinzuda, who supported him in selecting teas from a vast array of teas to match their characteristics, was nothing short of astonishing.

Making tea facing Japanese tea

Houkodo continues to be loved even today, and this is not only due to Mr. Vinzuda’s presence. The company’s own tea garden in Wazuka-cho, Kyoto Prefecture, the main production center of Uji tea, is also a major factor. Mr. Vinegar’s tea master, Mr. Vinegar, uses his advanced tea appraisal skills to identify the characteristics of tea leaves and blends them using traditional techniques and manufacturing methods, and his own tea farm, where he can work on producing delicious Japanese tea, starting from the soil preparation and growing seedlings. This enables him to work as a tea master not only to appraise and blend Japanese teas, but also to “create” Japanese teas from scratch. This is the strength of Houkodo and the reason why its history and traditions have been preserved and loved to this day.

Changing Times and Unchanging Ideas

In recent years, as the times have changed, values regarding “food” have diversified, and various forms of Japanese food culture have emerged. However, for 190 years, Houkodo has maintained the unchanging philosophy of ” tea with a heart of tea. This is a phrase that expresses the idea of ” conveying sincerity by having the customer enjoy the tea we have carefully cultivated ” and is an attitude that Houkodo has cherished since its founding.

In these days, it is difficult to find “sincerity to the other person. Despite such circumstances, Houkodo, which continues to produce the best tea with unchanged passion and preserve Japanese history and traditions, will surely continue to be a tea specialty store loved by Japanese people for a long time to come.

I am in pursuit of “what is good tea. He visits tea fields all over Japan and is involved in soil preparation, fertilizer selection, cultivation, and harvest timing, and conducts repeated research to realize the ideal tea.

The post What is “delicious tea” made by a long-established Uji tea shop – Mr. Yasuyuki Sugata, Houkodo / Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.