A stream of olive-colored glaze covers the well-honed form. The charm of the vessels created by potter Kiyooka Yukimichi is the wide range of color tones created by his uniquely blended glazes. The image of Shigaraki ware is overturned in a good way. Seeking “something that seems to exist but doesn’t,” he is bringing a new wind to Shigaraki ware.

The expression of glaze that stands out in a simple form

Mr. Kiyooka’s pottery is simple, yet fascinating with its rich and unique expression. The key to this is the use of glaze. He uses a variety of glazes, including shoshakuyu (crystal white glaze) and kaibakuyu (grayish white glaze), which allow the viewer to experience the warmth of the original clay of the pottery, as well as blue ash glaze and olive-colored ash glaze, which have different textures, to create new vessels. He is constantly receiving offers from galleries in Japan and abroad, and is expected to become one of the leading Shigaraki ceramic artists of the future.

At the farthest end of Shigaraki

Mr. Kiyooka’s studio is located in Miyajiri, Shigaraki Town, Koka City, Shiga Prefecture. Shigaraki is a town that has long flourished in the pottery industry because of its high quality clay. Today, Shigaraki has become a tourist spot that attracts many visitors to tour the Shigaraki pottery kilns, but Mr. Kiyooka has set up his workshop in an abandoned factory in the most remote village in Shigaraki. It is a quiet place where you hardly meet anyone,” he says. There are only houses in the surrounding area, and he works alone, carefully and deliberately, on his vessels.

Guided by the clay to Shigaraki

Mr. Kiyooka was born in Tokyo. He grew up in Hokkaido and spent his school years in Yokohama. After that, he entered the Department of Crafts at Osaka University of Arts, which he was interested in because of a childhood friend who had attended the school. However, upon entering, he was not very interested in ceramics as an object, which was taught there. So, after graduating from the university, he decided to pursue a career in manufacturing rather than as an artist, and found employment at a Shigaraki-based ceramics manufacturer that made umbrella stands and other products. When asked why he chose Shigaraki, he replied, “Shigaraki clay was easy for me to handle when I was working at the university. It was not too delicate, and even if I made something rough, it would still be accepted. The clay led Mr. Kiyooka to Shigaraki, a place he had never been to before.

Between the gap between “what is required” and “what I want to make

A turning point for Mr. Kiyooka came when he had lived in Shigaraki for several years. He was asked by the owner of a restaurant he knew to make some vessels for him. He asked me to do as I pleased. I was asked to do as I pleased, and it turned out to be more popular than I had imagined. I thought, ‘This is the most interesting job I’ve ever had,'” he says. This experience sparked Mr. Kiyooka’s creativity.

The desire to make tableware began to grow, and Mr. Kiyooka switched jobs to work at a ceramics factory that made tableware. He began making mass-produced vessels at the company during the day, and after work, he began to work on the potter’s wheel in his own workshop. This lifestyle continued for 10 years, but gradually he began to feel a sense of discomfort in his work.

I was in charge of developing new products, but the gap between what could be sold as a product and what I wanted to make was getting bigger. I found that the pieces with a different glaze flow, which would have been rejected as “B” pieces, seemed better to me. This feeling that what he wanted to make was not wanted here drove him to become independent.

Different places accept different products in different ways.

When he first started out on his own, Mr. Kiyooka’s unique creations were not well understood. One day, he participated in a craft fair in Matsumoto for the first time, recommended by others, and sold out on the first day. He was surprised to find that there were so many people who accepted his style, even if the place of presentation was different.

He was surprised to find that there were so many people who accepted his style if he presented his work in a different location. Gradually, the number of people who understood his work increased, and the number of galleries that carried his work also increased.

Something that seems to exist, but doesn’t.”

What Mr. Kiyooka values is ” something that seems to exist but does not. The shapes are simple and easy to use, yet they are not something that can be found anywhere.

Take, for example, the jugs on the shelves in his workshop. Although it is ceramic, it has a metallic texture and an antique-like taste. In order to create an iron-like atmosphere, the vessel is not thick. When you lift it up, expecting it to be heavy, you may be surprised to find that it is so light and thin.

If I were the user, I would enjoy thinking about what I would use it for, so I try not to put too much thought into how I would use it, ” he says.

Olive ash glaze with deep colors

One of his recent masterpieces is a piece using olive-colored ash glaze. This is achieved by using a firing method called “cooling reduction” in a gas kiln, which produces a gradation of flowing glaze. Failure is a given. If you don’t fail, you won’t discover anything new,” he says. He found that an electric kiln produces too beautiful a finish, and a wood-fired kiln is too accidental and uncontrollable, so he settled on a gas kiln.

The flame of a gas kiln produces a unique deep hue. The glaze creates a unique deep color, and no two pieces are alike, with different expressions depending on the angle of view. It is a beauty that one could stare at forever and never get tired of.

To give shape to an ideal image

To give shape to the ideas in his head, he began using ” tatara molding ” about four years ago. Tatara molding is a technique in which clay, stretched into a plate-like shape called tatara, is pressed into a plaster mold. Tatara molding is mainly used to make oval plates. The elliptical pattern can be rounded, slender, and in a sense limitless, so it is easier to express complex shapes with tatara than with rokuro,” he says.

He says that he is often inspired by the reactions of customers at his exhibitions. He is always willing to take on new challenges in pursuit of the ideal forms that spring up in his mind.

Pursuing an unseen landscape

While working, Mr. Kiyooka listens to other people’s voices on the radio or YouTube. He says shyly, “Maybe I miss the sound of other people’s voices because I’m alone all the time,” revealing a charming side to him.

I feel like my sense of what is just right is changing little by little,” she says. At first, I tended to express cool-looking vessels with a lot of decoration, but when I put them on the table, their presence was too strong…. I have changed to dishes that retain the texture of the clay and fit in well with other dishes when placed together, and that complement each other without being too assertive when served.

Mr. Kiyooka’s next goal is to go abroad. He says he would like to see the reaction of people in European countries such as Denmark, France, and Spain. He is looking forward to seeing how his works, which are unlikely to be found anywhere else, and which do not resemble anyone else’s, will be accepted abroad, beyond nationality.

The combinations of clay and glaze are limitless. I am sure there are views that no one has noticed yet. I want to challenge what no one has done before. In the way he answers our interview without hesitation, a quiet passion can be seen. His stoic pursuit of his own expression without being bound by conventional frameworks is sure to shake off the concept of Shigaraki ware and create a new genre of Kiyooka Yukimichi.

The post Trust your senses. Shigaraki ware potter Kiyooka Yukimichi, who charms with his glaze / Koka, Shiga Prefecture, Japan first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Asamiya Tea Katagi Kokaen is located in Shigaraki Town, Koka City, Shiga Prefecture,
It is a long-established tea garden that produces Asamiya Tea, one of the oldest in Japan.
They cultivate their tea completely without pesticides using only plant-based organic fertilizers and by hand.
The traditional Asamiya tea has a robust flavor and aroma that is inherent to the tea,
We continue to produce high quality teas that are gentle on the body.

Asamiya, a tea production area that has existed since tea was first introduced to Japan 1,200 years ago, is a village in the mountains of Shigaraki Town in southeastern Shiga Prefecture, known for its Shigaraki ware. The large difference in temperature between morning and evening is a source of quality tea leaves with a distinctive aroma and mellow flavor. Katagi Kokaen, which has been in the tea business here for generations, has taken on the challenge of cultivating tea without pesticides, which is not an easy task, and aims to produce world-class Asamiya tea.

Asamiya, a premium tea production area that has been in existence for 1,200 years

It is said that Japanese tea ceremony began 1,200 years ago when Saicho, later to become the founder of the Tendai sect of Buddhism, brought back tea seeds from China and planted them at the foot of Enryaku-ji Temple on Mt. Asamiya, a tea production area that has continued since that time, is located in the Shigaraki Basin, south of Lake Biwa, on a plateau at an altitude of 300 to 500 meters. The area has ideal conditions for tea production, with a large difference in temperature between morning and evening, and the Shigaraki River valley, which tends to generate fog. The area is also blessed with high-quality water from the granite strata, which has been presented to emperors as ” fragrant Asamiya-cha,” a famous tea of high quality.

Rich green tea fields in the mountains

Driving through Shigaraki town, lined with pottery stores, to Asamiya, tea fields appear on the slopes of the mountain. The haiku poet Matsuo Basho, who visited this area, is said to have composed a poem entitled “Hiding in the Trees and Hearing the Tea Plucking, Hottogisu. The beautiful scenery of the tea fields, almost unchanged from that time, is a comforting sight.

Asamiya Tea,” known by those in the know, is now a single brand

Katagi Kokaen has been cultivating tea in the highest area of Asamiya, at an altitude of 450 to 500 meters. Currently, the seventh generation, Mr. Takatomo Katagi, is the head of the company and produces a variety of teas, including sencha, hojicha, oolong tea, and tencha.

Until a decade ago, Asamiya tea was mostly wholesaled to Uji and blended with tea from other regions and sold as high-end Uji tea, so it was completely unknown to the general public. My grandfather and father started selling Uji tea directly to households because they thought it was a waste of the delicious tea they were making,” he says. After Katagi-san took over the business, he began to put more effort into selling tea at his store and online, and is now the leading producer of Asamiya tea in both name and reality.

From father to son. A commitment to pesticide-free farming passed down from father to son.

What sets Katagi Kokaen apart from other tea growers is its pesticide-free cultivation: since 1976, all tea fields have been cultivated without the use of any pesticides and with minimal fertilizers. My father is a bit of an eccentric. He started growing tea without pesticides by himself because he felt he had to give his customers, who came to see him and buy from him, something they could drink with peace of mind.

At that time, it was common practice in the tea industry to use pesticides to prevent insect infestation and disease in order to increase production. It was a challenge that went against the grain of the times.

Tea leaves are processed without washing.

Unlike vegetables and fruits, tea leaves are processed without washing after being harvested from the fields. They are then put in a teapot, poured over with hot water, and drunk.

On the day I returned home after spraying with pesticides, I felt more sluggish than usual. This discomfort may be due to the pesticides. I thought, I can’t give pesticide-laden tea leaves to customers who buy it because they say it tastes good. The decision was based on his realization of the fear of pesticides.

Starting out by hand, without a role model

He searched for people who were growing tea without pesticides, but although there were people who were growing small amounts of tea for their own use, no one was growing tea without pesticides as a business. He had no choice but to start by hand. He decided to start growing tea in all of his tea fields at once.

The first two or three years,” he said, “we could hardly harvest anything because of diseases and insect pests. The surrounding tea farmers didn’t understand, saying, ‘It’s like growing insects instead of tea,’ but my father didn’t give up,” he said. But my father never gave up.” He had to work at other jobs to make a living, and the hard work continued.

Finally, in the third year, new shoots appeared.

In the third year, after much trial and error, the trees began to sprout new shoots. Thanks to the fact that we did not spray a drop of pesticide, spiders, praying mantis, ladybugs, and other insects returned to the field. The resistance of the trees must have increased, too. Geographical factors, such as the fact that the tea plantation was at the top of the list and that there were few insects to begin with due to the cold weather, also seem to have played a role in the success of the pesticide-free cultivation. From that year on, yields increased year by year, and the soil became richer and richer.

Putting our heart and soul into the steady manual work

For more than 40 years since then, he has been growing tea using no pesticides and as little fertilizer as possible, in an effort to bring man and nature into harmony.

The most difficult part of pesticide-free cultivation is weeding. If the weeds grow too much, they take all the nutrients from the trees, so we have no choice but to pull them out by hand,” he says. There are many hardships associated with pesticide-free cultivation, such as more manual labor and lower yields than expected. Even so, Mr. Katagi’s willingness to go to great lengths in pursuit of safety, saying, ” Tea is something people drink every day, ” is a belief passed down to him from his father.

From Weaknesses to Individuality. Asamiya tea with a clean taste

The tea leaves, which have been cultivated in a harsh natural environment, have a reputation for its original flavor. However, in the world of tea, the umami component is the most important factor in evaluating the taste. Chemical fertilizers affect this flavor. Therefore, if chemical fertilizers are not used, the tea leaves will inevitably have less umami. Mr. Katagi explains, “If we compare only the flavor, we may lose to other tea production areas that use chemical fertilizers. However, based on our experience, we have found that using organic plant-based fertilizers such as rapeseed oil and sesame oil pomace enhances the aroma of the tea. Asamiya’s native varieties have always been characterized by their aroma, and we hope to further develop the aroma,” he says.

Passing on Asamiya Tea to the Next Generation

The tea industry faces many challenges, such as theaging of producers and declining demand for tea due to the diversification of beverages. The same is true in Asamiya, where there are currently 35 tea farmers, but few of them are of the younger generation.

I decided to follow in my father’s footsteps because he took pride in his pesticide-free cultivation. I am now looking for new added value in addition to pesticide-free cultivation so that my son will want to take over the business with the same pride.

Passing on Asamiya Tea to the Next Generation

Katagi-san’s current target is the state of Michigan, Shiga Prefecture’s sister city in the U.S. About five years ago, he began selling his tea there. In Michigan, Japanese tea is still almost unknown. I want to bring Asamiya-Cha to people all over the world, but first of all, I want Michigan people to think of Asamiya-Cha when they think of Japanese tea,” he said. In fact, at a sales event in Michigan, Asagucha was well-received as ” refreshing and easy to drink,” and the company is feeling a positive response.

Although tea consumption in Japan is on the decline, Japanese tea is attracting more and more attention worldwide due to the growing health consciousness and the Japanese food boom. In fact, exports to the U.S., Taiwan, and Europe have quadrupled in the past 10 years. Asamiya tea has a good chance of becoming a world-class Japanese tea.

Asamiya Tea will not abandon its commitment to pesticide-free cultivation, but will enhance its quality and brand power. Mr. Katagi is the one who will lead Asamiya-cha to the next generation and beyond. The challenge of Katagi Kokaen, which has been passed down from generation to generation in Japan’s oldest tea-producing region, will continue in the future.

We cannot mass-produce tea due to our commitment to completely pesticide-free cultivation and careful handwork, but we are proud of the high quality of our tea, which is healthier for the body. This tea is suitable not only for private use but also for gift-giving. We hope you will taste the original flavor of the tea produced by the tea tree itself.

The post Katagi Kokaen, a pesticide-free farm in Japan’s oldest tea production area / Koka City, Shiga Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Tsuchiyama in Koka City, Shiga Prefecture, is famous for its excellent tea production.
Omicha Marukichi is a long-established tea merchant that has been in this area for over 100 years.
As a specialist in hojicha, it offers a wide variety of hojicha and a wide range of related products.
You are sure to find a cup of supreme quality tea made with carefully selected ingredients and advanced techniques by tea professionals, including a “tea master Judan.

Over the past few years or so, hojicha has shown a steady increase in popularity.The “hojicha latte” style of tea has also become very popular.One of the first people to recognize the appeal of hojicha was Kenji Yoshinaga, representative of “Omicha Maruyoshi,” a roasted tea specialty store in the town of Tsuchiyama, one of Shiga Prefecture’s major tea-producing regions.

Roasted tea specialty store” established in Tsuchiyama, the largest tea production area in Shiga Prefecture

Tsuchiyama-cho, a town at the foot of the Suzuka Mountains, separates Shiga and Mie prefectures.The temperature difference between 35°C in summer and -5°C in winter is ideal for tea cultivation, and the town boasts the largest tea cultivation area and production in Shiga Prefecture.However, Shiga Prefecture ranks 13th in the nation in terms of tea production (in 2020), and is not well known as a tea-producing region.The number of tea farmers, which once numbered about 300, is now down to about 100.

Who is the man behind the “hojicha specialty store”?

In such a situation, Mr. Kenji Yoshinaga of “Roasted Tea Specialty Store Omi Cha Maruyoshi” is struggling to increase the name recognition of Shiga Prefecture-grown tea while devising a marketing strategy not found at other stores and offering high quality tea.Mr. Yoshinaga is the seventh generation of Maruyoshi Omi Cha, a tea wholesaler with over 100 years of history in Tsuchiyama-cho.He is also one of only 15 people in Japan to hold the title of “tea master 10th dan.He is a professional who takes rough tea leaves, which are processed by tea farmers, and turns them into products by sifting, blending (called gougumi), and heating the tea leaves.

What is a “tea master 10-dan”?

I would like to explain a little more about Mr. Yoshinaga’s title of “tea master 10th dan” here.

The 10th Dan of Tea Master is the highest rank in tea judging and appraisal skills, awarded at the National Tea Judging Techniques Competition held once a year by the National Federation of Tea Industry Youth Organization.It is said to be an extremely difficult task in the tea industry, and only 15 people have been certified in the 70 years since the competition was first held.The store’s hojicha tea is a perfect example of this discerning skill.

Bittersweet experience abroad made me realize the potential of hojicha.

He also wanted to sell the tea produced by his company as “Shiga tea,” but when Mr. Yoshinaga entered this industry around 2000, green tea consumption was steadily declining. Mr. Yoshinaga decided to seek new sales channels and began overseas sales.

Eventually, he began traveling to exhibitions in the United States, Singapore, China, and other countries, but no matter where he went, he did not get the response he had hoped for. The reactions of buyers who tasted sencha were mostly negative, describing it as “unpleasant,” “salty,” “bitter,” and “astringent.” Mr. Yoshinaga then noticed something.

“The hojicha tea I brought along as an afterthought was well received for its aroma and delicious taste.”

He also found that the reactions of young people in Japan were similar. Young people tend to dislike bitterness and prefer teas with a strong aroma. Feeling this, Yoshiyama decided to specialize in hojicha.

Throughout Maruyoshi’s history, the company has always adapted its business to the times. Fortunately, thanks to its accumulated expertise in roasting techniques—gained by taking on requests from other manufacturers—there was no hesitation in shifting focus to hojicha, a tea that emphasizes aroma. In fact, there was a sense of mission that this was a necessary transition.

I could see the way forward.

“I believe that the tea from Tsuchiyama is well-suited for hojicha. Due to the extreme temperature differences in the mountainous region, it takes time for the tea leaves to grow, but this results in a rich tea with a robust flavor and aroma. When roasting tea, the depth of flavor tends to diminish, but the tea from Tsuchiyama retains its flavor even after roasting,” says Mr. Yoshina.

Additionally, his experience as a tea merchant handling both sencha and hojicha has been invaluable in opening a hojicha specialty shop. However, he has decided to shift focus from being a “jack of all trades” to “specializing solely in hojicha.” He explained that this decision made the path forward clear.

At “Hojicha Specialty Store Omi-cha Maruyoshi,” which opened in 2014, the store is filled with various packaged products, and it’s surprising how many variations of hojicha can be enjoyed. Using domestically sourced high-quality tea leaves, they create hojicha using their own unique method, grinding it into a powder and adding honey to make “sugar-infused hojicha.” This product is popular among those who do not have the habit of brewing tea in a teapot, as it allows them to enjoy a delicious hojicha latte.

More than 100 different prototypes, “wide range” is the charm of hojicha.

The 10 standard types of hojicha are the result of Mr. Yoshinaga trying out over 100 different types. Even just looking at the tea leaves, you’ll be surprised at how different they look.

For example, the top-tier “Premium Tsuchiyama Hojicha” is made from the first flush buds of the tea leaves, carefully roasted at a low temperature. The green tea leaves appear unlike hojicha at first glance, but when you bring them close to your nose, a subtle roasted aroma wafts up. When sipped, the fragrance clears the nose, leaving a smooth umami flavor on the palate.

On the other hand, the most popular “Ton-gu Hojicha,” ranked fifth, is made from deeply roasted tea leaves with a direct flame, resulting in a dark orange color. It is favored by serious tea enthusiasts who seek a rich flavor, and its top-notch aroma also evokes the essence of hojicha.

As you can see, even though they are all called hojicha, each has its own unique character. Everyone is sure to find a flavor they love.。

Aroma and taste can be freely manipulated by roasting.

By the way, how do you create the various flavors of hojicha? Rather than differences based on the tea variety, the flavors are more influenced by the combination of factors such as the parts of the plant used (leaves, stems, etc.), the time of harvest, the method of picking, and the roasting temperature and duration.

For example, even using the same tea leaves, roasting at a low temperature results in a rich, full-bodied flavor, while roasting at a high temperature produces a lighter, more delicate taste with a fragrant aroma upon the first sip.

Additionally, the ability to capture the aroma of the tea leaves’ veins is a unique characteristic of hojicha. When roasted, the veins expand and release their aroma. The first flush tea leaves have soft veins, so when roasted, they emit a particularly sweet aroma. By understanding these characteristics and experimenting with various combinations, we strive to achieve the ultimate flavor.

Health benefits, such as reduced caffeine levels.

In addition to enhancing aroma, roasting also offers health benefits. Roasting is said to reduce caffeine content and increase pyrazine levels, which may help improve blood circulation.

When people think of hojicha, they may have the image of it being “cheaper than sencha” or “made from roasted old tea leaves,” but the hojicha offered by Omi Cha Marukichi, made from carefully selected tea leaves, is a product that proudly incorporates the extra step of roasting, as Yoshinao explains. The roasting technique that enhances the flavor of the tea leaves by several times is what adds value to the product.

A challenge for the entire production area.New aromatic hojicha” from Tsuchiyama

Mr. Yoshinaga has been working on a project to create a “local brand” in collaboration with tea farmers, tea merchants, and agricultural cooperatives in Tsuchiyama for the past four years.

In September 2022, he launched a new brand called “Tsuchiyama Hitoban Houji.”

The key to the aroma of “Tsuchiyama Overnight Hoji” is “wilt.

“Tsuchiyama Iwan Hōji” uses tea leaves that have been withered (ichō). Wilting is a method where harvested tea leaves are left in a well-ventilated area without immediately undergoing roasting, allowing the leaves to wilt and develop a vibrant “flowery aroma (hanaka).” The tea leaves release enzymes to protect themselves, and during the oxidation process, aromatic compounds are produced, which is the essence of this method. Taiwanese oolong tea, which is popular in Taiwan, is also made using this method.

Roasting withered tea leaves to create hojicha is a unique challenge and the core of this project. We aim to introduce a hojicha unlike any other, combining the vibrant aroma of tea leaves with the rich roasted fragrance, from Tsuchiyama. This endeavor was made possible by Yoshinao, a tea master with a 10th-degree certification in tea appraisal, who specializes in hojicha production.

The ‘Tsuchiyama Iwan Hojicha’ has established specifications such as ‘using tea leaves produced in Tsuchiyama,’ ‘using tea leaves with a high aroma that have been withered for over 12 hours,’ and ‘roasted by tea masters and producers in Shiga Prefecture and Tsuchiyama.’ Going forward, under these specifications, producers and tea merchants in Tsuchiyama will create their own unique ‘Tsuchiyama Iwan Hojicha.’

Take advantage of the strength of individuality that only a small scale can offer.Striking out with the pride of a tea-producing region

As mentioned earlier, Tsuchiyama is the largest tea-producing area in Shiga Prefecture, yet the number of tea farmers has decreased to about one-third of its peak.

However, Tsuchiyama Town still has many small-scale tea farmers with unique personalities. Due to their small scale, they can devote time and effort to withering the tea leaves and take the time to create “Tsuchiyama Iwan Hōjī,” and tea wholesalers are also working hard to develop roasting methods that bring out the individuality of each tea farmer. By leveraging these strengths, tea farmers and tea merchants are collaborating to create Tsuchiyama Ichiban Hojicha through a combination of their individual characteristics.

“We are currently experimenting with fermenting tea leaves, but fermentation is very complex. Depending on the climate, humidity, and variety, the possibilities are endless. Just because it works today doesn’t mean it will work tomorrow,”

Despite this, Yoshiyama seems to be enjoying the process. In this ‘Tsuchiyama Iwan Hojicha,’ he is not competing as a single shop but as a tea-producing region, betting everything on hojicha. The challenge of carrying the pride of tea master Kenji Yoshiyama and the potential of hojicha on the world stage is one to watch closely. We encourage you to try the hojicha that the Koka region is sending out to the world with the support of the entire tea-producing region.

With the diversification of eating habits in recent years, the way we enjoy tea has also changed dramatically.While responding flexibly to these changes, we will redouble our efforts to provide enjoyment and healing through the brewing, drinking, and knowing of tea.We invite you to experience the fragrant and flavorful world of Omi tea.

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600-year-old “fantastic tea” – “Masasho-cha” produced by the origin… Masadokoro is located in the mountains of the Suzuka Mountains on the east side of Lake Biwa. This small village with thatched roofs and clear water flowing …

The post Roasted tea specialty store Omi Cha Marukichi, created by 15 tea masters of the 10th Dan in Japan / Koka City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan first appeared on NIHONMONO.