Yame City in Fukuoka Prefecture is known for its tea production. Especially in Hoshino Village, which is located at a high altitude and is called “Okuyame,” the production of Kabusecha, a type of tea with a strong flavor, is thriving due to the difference in temperature. We visited two tea farmers who are earnestly engaged in tea production while facing nature on a daily basis, and experienced their passion for Japanese tea.

Tea made with traditional techniques in a beautiful mountainous area

The Yame region in the southern part of the Chikugo Plain of Fukuoka Prefecture is located between the Chikugo and Yabe Rivers, the largest rivers in Kyushu. Blessed with fertile soil, subsoil water, abundant rainfall, and a large temperature difference between day and night, the region has been cultivating tea for about 600 years, as it meets the natural conditions suitable for tea cultivation.

Hoshino Village, located in the mountains at an altitude of more than 200 meters above sea level and known for its beautiful starlit sky, is a famous producer of high-quality sencha and gyokuro teas. Hoshino tea is known as one of the highest quality Yamecha teas.

Hoshino tea is characterized by its rich flavor, deep mellow aroma, and beautiful color. Among them, Gyokuro, the highest grade of Japanese tea, has repeatedly won the top prize in the Gyokuro category of the National Tea Fair (22 times in the Heisei period), in which tea production areas throughout Japan compete to be the best in Japan in terms of Japanese tea. The “Yame Traditional Gyokuro” entered in this competition “must be grown on trees that have been pruned only once after harvest and allowed to sprout naturally until autumn,” and “covered with natural materials such as rice straw for 16 days or more. （The tea is grown by adhering to traditional techniques such as “covering” the trees with natural materials such as rice straw for at least 16 days and hand-picking the sprouts. The taste is exceptional. Pour hot water at 50-60 degrees Celsius slowly and wait for about 2 minutes, and the flavor and sweetness locked inside the tea leaves will be released in the hot water, giving it a mild, sweet, deep flavor and a noble aroma that is very impressive. In 2015, Yame Traditional Gyokuro became the first tea to be registered under the country’s Geographical Indication (GI*) protection system in order to protect its special cultivation methods and production area characteristics as intellectual property.

Of course, Traditional Gyokuro is not the only Hoshino tea. In Hoshino Village, open-air cultivation is also widely practiced in addition to covered cultivation, but it is certain that the knowledge and experience of tea farmers who have kept up the traditional techniques have led to the production of delicious tea.

GI = GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION. A system to protect as intellectual property the names (geographical indications) of products that have achieved high quality and reputation due to special traditional production methods and characteristics of the production area, such as climate, climate, and soil.

From cultivation to processing and sales. Reflecting the voices of consumers in tea production

Mr. Kohei Takagi, who runs a tea shop in Hoshino Village called “Hoshosho-en,” is a devoted farmer who is called the hope of young farmers. After two years of in-depth study of tea cultivation and processing at the Tea Research Center of the National Institute of Agroforestry and Forestry in Shizuoka Prefecture, he returned to his hometown and now cultivates tea in a vast field of about 10 hectares (about eight times the size of the Koshien baseball stadium). Mr. Takagi’s tea plantation is located in the mountains of Hoshino Village, which is located at a high altitude. The tea plantation is located on top of a unique geological formation called Senmaigan, which contains many natural microorganisms, and is therefore blessed with rich soil. In addition to such geographical advantages, Mr. Takagi has taken on the challenge of tea cultivation with all his human knowledge, including the selection of fertilizers, the amount and timing of fertilizer application, the selection of covering materials, the timing and duration of application, and frost protection.

Running a tea shop has also had a positive influence on Mr. Takagi’s tea production. Generally, tea farmers rush raw tea leaves to tea factories to prevent oxidation, which begins immediately after harvesting, and deliver “aracha,” which is made by steaming, rubbing, and drying tea leaves, to tea wholesalers. The wholesalers then process and blend the “aracha” into products, but apart from wholesaling, Mr. Takagi also handles the secondary processing and blending himself. He says, “I can check the taste of the tea I make and hear directly from customers. Every year, it is a battle against nature, so it is difficult to keep the quality constant, but the voices of customers who frankly tell me, “This year’s tea tasted like this,” are the driving force behind our tea production.

Focusing on the Future as a Tea Producing Area

There is another key person who is indispensable when talking about Hoshino Tea. He is Masahiro Tanaka, who serves as the head of the Hoshino branch of the JA Tea Industry Youth Association. Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Takagi have been friends since childhood, and both have taken over the family business and worked hard to produce high quality tea while engaging in friendly competition with each other. The climate and soil of Hoshino Village are the reason why we can produce high quality sencha and gyokuro teas. We believe that continuing to master the art of tea production by taking advantage of the characteristics of the land will help us differentiate ourselves from other tea-producing regions. On the other hand, however, the reality is that the demand for bottled tea is increasing in Japan, and more and more households do not have a teapot. In order for the tea industry to become a sustainable industry in the future, we must consider what kind of tea the domestic and overseas markets demand and what kind of target audience we should approach from the production site. In order to explore the possibilities of organic, pesticide-free, and fermented teas demanded by overseas markets and take action, it will be necessary for producers and tea merchants to work together even more firmly than now,” says Hoshino, who is looking to the future of Hoshino Tea.

Overseas and Domestic. The Challenge of Japanese Tea Continues

Recently, the number of Japanese tea lovers has been increasing overseas, and Hoshino tea is also exported. However, there are many areas (e.g., EU) where standards for residual pesticide concentration are strict, and the standards differ from country to country, so there are not many farmers who can produce organic and pesticide-free tea. Hoshino Village has the advantage of being located at a high altitude, which makes it difficult to attract insects, but it is said to take at least 10 years to stabilize the quality of tea without using chemical fertilizers or pesticides, which places a heavy burden on farmers. Although there are many challenges, Mr. Takagi has direct dealings with overseas farmers, “They always ask me to send them good quality products! He also sees the potential for Japanese tea to make great strides overseas. The Yameyama tea cooperative is also actively involved in overseas exports, and we look forward to future developments.

Their goal for the future is to continue their activities to encourage more people to brew tea at home,” they say. For young children, we start with hojicha, which is low in caffeine, and gradually move on to green tea. If children are exposed to home-brewed tea when they are young, even if they leave tea for a while, they often come back to it when they grow up and say, “I love making tea at home. I want to believe in such a cycle,” he says.

While conveying the richness of time spent with tea to the domestic market, they also want to enter the large overseas market. We look forward to the future of Yame “Hoshino Tea” pioneered by young tea growers.

The post The power of a cup of tea that brings a peaceful sensation. Hoshino Tea” made with special care and cultivation methods / Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Yame Traditional Gyokuro, the Highest Quality Gyokuro

Yame City is an agricultural city with a population of 65,000 located in the southwestern part of Fukuoka Prefecture. The world-recognized “ Yame Traditional Gyokuro ‘ is produced in a mountain village described in the ’Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan)”. Gyokuro is not a variety, but a cultivation method. While sencha is generally harvested several times a year, starting with the first tea, followed by the second and third teas, gyokuro is only the first tea. Most of the harvest is done by hand. The biggest difference between gyokuro and sencha is that the entire tea plantation is covered with a cover (kabuse) two to three weeks before harvest to block out the sun. Catechins, the bitter component of tea, increase through photosynthesis.
The lack of photosynthesis by blocking out the sunlight leads to an increase in atenin, which is a flavor component, and as a result, the gyokuro tea has a strong flavor. In addition, the Yame Traditional Gyokuro tea must be hand-picked and covered with natural materials such as straw. By adhering to these rules, Gyokuro has been awarded “GI” status, won the top prize at the National Tea Fair for 20 consecutive years, and won the Grand Prix at the Japanese Tea Competition in Paris, thus maintaining its position as the world’s best tea. The leading expert on this gyokuro is Mr. Yoshiaki Miyahara of Hoshino Village, who has won first place in Japan three times at the National Tea Fair. The gyokuro he produces is an ultra-premium product that once sold for 10,000 yen for 8 grams. Right in front of his house is a tea plantation the size of a large vegetable garden, lined with freshly harvested tea plants with conspicuous branches.

Tea is grown by heaven and earth

I had the impression that tea fields were lined with many tea trees on sunny slopes. This is a fairly small field,” (Nakata) ”But anyway, the soil is good. If we grow carefully here, we can produce delicious gyokuro.”
Mr. Miyahara says, ‘It is ’heaven, earth, and people’ that grow tea. Heaven is the sunlight, earth is the soil of the field, and people are the key. Although it is a small field, Mr. Miyahara’s field has all of these things.
We put straw on top of the enclosure to shade it from the sun. Depending on the weather, we change the location of the straw and the thickness of the straw, and from four days before harvest, we raise the shading rate to 99%.” (Mr. Miyahara)
Gyokuro is roasted slowly in warm water, and the color is vibrant. Gyokuro is not to be drunk in large gulps. Gyokuro is not meant to be drunk in large gulps, but rather savored slowly. Just a few drops of Mr. Miyahara’s Gyokuro will fill your mouth with a surprisingly rich flavor and sweetness.

It has a rich but gentle taste.” (Nakada)
As its name suggests, Hoshino Village is known for its beautiful starry sky at night, and for the fireflies that swarm around it in early summer, creating a beautiful, fleeting light. Enjoying the best tea in the clear air. I was able to spend a luxurious time that is not possible in the city.

The post Yoshiaki Miyahara, Yame Traditional Gyokuro “Yame Traditional Hon Gyokuro,” the highest grade of gyokuro recognized around the world / Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

In Hoshino Village, Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture, where there is a long history of gyokuro cultivation,
this tea garden continues to produce tea with the utmost care.
While preserving the culture and traditions of tea,
we produce Japanese teas that are in tune with diversifying lifestyles!

Hoshino Village, Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture, has long been known as a tea production area. Despite its small population of 3,000, the village has been producing tea for more than 100 years, taking advantage of the mountainous area’s unique cold temperature difference, which is ideal for tea production. Especially famous is the “Yame Traditional Hon Gyokuro” produced here. We asked Mr. Shinya Yamaguchi of Hoshino Seichaen, who was the youngest person in history to receive the “tea master 10-dan” certification at the age of 32, one of only 15 in Japan, about the appeal of this “gyokuro.

What is gyokuro?

Gyokuro is considered to be one of the finest of all Japanese teas. Surprisingly, however, the reason for this is not the variety but the cultivation method. The tea leaves are shelved around the field and covered with a straw cover (kabuse) two to three weeks before harvest to block out the sun and enhance the flavor and aroma of the tea leaves.
Among producers of gyokuro, which is renowned as one of the finest tea products, Mr. Shinya Yamaguchi of Hoshino Seichaen has been attracting attention, winning the grand prize at the Japan Tea Awards.

Became the youngest tea master in history at the age of 32 to become a “tea master Judan.

The correct term is “Jyu-dan” in tea judging technique. In the “tea judging technique competition,” participants compete in tea appraisal skills in the four judging categories of tea variety, tea season, tea production area, and tea aroma and flavor. The title ” Chashi Judan ” is given to tea masters who have obtained the highest rank of Judan. There are only 15 tea masters in Japan who hold this title, and Mr. Yamaguchi is the youngest tea professional in history at the age of 32.

The Work of a Tea Master

Currently, Mr. Yamaguchi is in charge of product quality control at Hoshino Tea Farm. First, he examines and selects tea leaves (rough tea leaves = tea leaves that have been plucked, steamed, rubbed, and dried), and carefully selects the best tea leaves. From there, the tea leaves are fired to finish the tea. The tea leaves are then fired, using a combination of shelf-type hot-air drying and direct heating, as well as far-infrared heating, to bring out the wonderful flavor and aroma from the core of the tea leaves. The tea leaves with different characteristics are blended to make products. This is called “Gokumi,” and the process of identifying and blending the tea leaves is where the tea master shows his skills.

A traditional method that has been used for 100 years

Cultivation of gyokuro is a labor-intensive process that requires extremely advanced techniques and many years of experience, as well as soil and climate suitable for cultivation. Among these, Yame, where Hoshino Village is located, accounts for more than 50% of the nation’s gyokuro production, making it the “largest producer of gyokuro in Japan.

However, it is not only the amount of production that is impressive. It is the traditional production method that has continued for 100 years in this region. In the first place, there is a clear difference in the manufacturing method between gyokuro and Yame traditional hongyokuro. In order to be called Yame traditional hon gyokuro, there are seven cultivation conditions, and only those that meet all of them can be called Yame traditional hon gyokuro. The conditions are: 1) the tea plantation must be naturally grown; 2) the cultivation must be well managed; 3) the covering must be made of straw; 4) the covering period must be at least 16 days; 5) the tea leaves must be handpicked; 6) the tea leaves must be picked at the right time to prevent hardening; and 7) the tea leaves must be grown in the right place and at the right time to prevent the leaves from being damaged. 7. The tea leaves must be carefully managed and produced without defects.

The time and effort that goes into this traditional production method , ” says Yamaguchi, ” makes it different from other teas in terms of color, aroma, and flavor.

The difference in efficacy and taste of Yame Traditional Hon Gyokuro

Thus, Yame Traditional Hon Gyokuro is made by sticking to traditional techniques. Its efficacy and taste are very different from other gyokuro and Japanese teas. It is characterized by its mild umami and high richness. This is because it is rich in theanine, a type of amino acid that is a flavor component. Normally, when exposed to sunlight, theanine is decomposed and converted into catechins, which are astringent and bitter-tasting components. However, Gyokuro, which grows in almost no sunlight, is not affected by this.

Gyokuro is produced by a combination of a carefully selected manufacturing process, a favorable production area, and a producer with advanced technology and many years of experience. The Yame traditional Gyokuro that can be produced only when these three things come together is the highest quality Gyokuro that contains more flavor components than regular Gyokuro, yet has almost no astringency or bitterness, and can extract the maximum amount of Gyokuro’s original umami.

How to make delicious Yame traditional Gyokuro

As you can see from the previous methods, the method of brewing gyokuro is different from that of sencha or Japanese tea, which are generally referred to as “tea. Brew the tea in a cool water bath and pour about 20ml of the cooled water into a bowl for gyokuro tea. Put about 4 teaspoons of tea leaves in the kyusu and brew slowly for 2 to 3 minutes with the hot water from the cooled teacup, and wait for the tea to infuse. This is about the extent of drowning the tea leaves. However, this carefully brewed gyokuro conveys a robust sweetness and flavor with just a few drops in the mouth. It is rich and has no astringency or bitterness.

It has a luxurious taste. Gyokuro is not a drink to be served with meals, but rather to be enjoyed on its own for its true flavor, ” says Nakata.

Traditions handed down through continuous innovation

As lifestyles diversify with the changing times, the needs for tea have become more diverse. Hoshino Seichaen, while cherishing the traditions of Japanese tea, is constantly challenging itself to develop further tea products that are more in tune with people’s lifestyles.

Producing matcha by applying traditional gyokuro cultivation methods. Hojicha (roasted green tea) made from the stems of gyokuro. They are also engaged in the production of teas other than gyokuro and the development of processed tea products, such as hojicha, which uses the stems of gyokuro.

We will continue to pass on the culture and authentic taste of tea, which is the pride of Japan, by pursuing the possibilities of tea and continuing to innovate to meet ever-changing tastes, ” said Yamaguchi. says Mr. Yamaguchi.

We cannot take our eyes off of the future of Hoshino Seichaen, which will spare no effort to preserve and further pursue Japan’s unique “tea” culture. Hoshino Seichaen’s products are available at their stores and online store.

Hoshino Seichaen employs many Japanese tea instructors and advisors, including a tea master with the rank of “tea judging technique 10th dan,” also known as “tea master 10th dan. From among the many varieties of tea available, we will introduce you to delicious teas that meet your taste preferences, intended use, and other requirements. Please feel free to consult with us.

You can also find more information here.

The post The true taste of tea produced by “gyokuro” – Mr. Shinya Yamaguchi of Yame Traditional Hon Gyokuro Hoshino Seichaen / Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.