Innovation Beautifully Integrated with Tradition
Mt. Fuji overlooking hundreds of thousands of tea bushes.
SHIZUOKA, Japan
By Anne-Marie Hardie
Known for its technology and innovation, Japan is truly a place where industry meets aesthetics. Changes in tea production have evolved over generations, but one thing remains true. Japan independently developed its unique styles of green tea. Today sencha, a green tea processed through steaming, comprises 75% of the total tea production in Japan. First introduced 300 years ago in Uji, Kyoto, the leaves are rolled and dried at low temperatures. Traditionally formed by hand, today most of the sencha is processed mechanically.
Innovation Beautifully Integrated with Tradition
Umami rich sencha in the cup.
Japan exports only a small amount of tea, less than 4% of what is grown with the majority exported to the US, followed by Germany, Singapore, and Canada. Japan’s total tea production is about 90,000 tons per year, with 75% of the tea processed as sencha, 13% bancha and 5% kabusecha. Tea consumption within Japan is experiencing a decline as youth gravitate away from traditional loose leaf. Convenience is driving the change with sachets, tea bags, and a huge ready-to-drink market. To stimulate consumer demand, manufacturers and retailers, have decreased the price of tea, according to market research firm Euromonitor. Customer preferences lead producers to experiment with a variety of teas including matcha; production methods such as organic production and styles such as Japanese black tea all in hopes of enticing tea drinkers both internally and abroad.
In Japan, the commercial production of tea is limited to the southern part of the country where average temperatures range from 52 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit (11.5 to 18 ºC) and rainfall from 590 to 787 inches (1,500-2,000 centimeters) per year. Tea plants produce leaves from March to November in four distinct flushes, and remain dormant the rest of the year. The tea is highly influenced by sophisticated agro-technology that takes into consideration each section of land, cultivars, plucking methods, pest controls, and climatic factors. The first pluck is generally in April with the final pluck (used to create bancha) occurring in early autumn.
Against the picture postcard background of Mount Fuji and the Pacific Ocean, Japan’s Shizuoka prefecture resonates with the beauty and peace that can only come from living and breathing tea.
The prefecture is home to seven distinct growing regions with a range of topographic climates that offer distinct flavors and aromas. This region produces 43% of the total tea in Japan, with the clonal variety of Yabukita comprising 93% of the cultivars in the region.
The journey of tea production begins in Shimada city where the broadleaf plant can be seen across the landscape. Shimada is home to the Tea Museum and the Horai Bridge which marks the entrance into a region devoted to tea. At 2,950 feet (897 metres), the 137-year-old pedestrian wooden bridge leads from Shimada city to the hills of Makinohara.
Innovation Beautifully Integrated with Tradition
Morihiko Yamamoto describes mechanization process.
As the forest breaks away, the sunlight begins to dance upon the bright green foliage of thousands of tea plants. It is here, that tea producer Morihiko Yamamoto shares the story of not only his tea production but the variety of terrains and methods of growing tea in the region. Serving as both a tea expert and philosopher, he muses about the elegance in the tea plant itself and how the particular flavor of the terrain is embraced.
“The tea in the region is strong in umami,” says Yamamoto. The broth-like, full sensation of umami in the mouth, still relatively new to North America, is sought out in Japan, explaining why umami-rich sencha remains the tea of choice.
Passionate about the industry and the culture of tea, Yamamoto studied under a master teacher, while also seeking guidance and collaboration from others in the production industry. Primarily a green tea producer, in the last eight years, he has begun to explore black tea production to address the evolving palates of the Japanese tea consumer. Although still fairly new to the market, the reception has been positive. “Japanese black tea has a special aroma, flavor, and taste, “said Yamamoto.” It embodies the umami flavor that the Japanese palate is attuned towards.”
Yamamoto’s farm is in the town of Makinohara, benefiting from both the temperate climate and the level terrain that is ideal for machine harvesting. His factory has recently been updated with top of the line equipment, allowing Yamamoto to produce quality tea within 24 hours. The manufacturing process for sencha alone requires several machines including steaming, several tea rollers and a tea dryer. He shares with pride how technology and research has ensured that the tea processed and harvested is consistent and of the highest quality. However; there are some regions in Japan were large machinery cannot travel. One of these regions is the hillside town of Kawanhon, a town, which until recently was not accessible by vehicle.
Innovation Beautifully Integrated with Tradition
Tetsuro Tsuchiya describes his farm.
A step back in time
Deep within this hillside of Kawanhon, resides an entire tea community devoted to retaining the traditional methods of tea production. With 10,000 hectares of tea fields, 80 of the 120 families in the region grow and process tea. Without access to fertilizer, the traditional farmers developed methods to ensure that the land was nutrient rich. One of these methods is known as Chagusaba. This method involves adding bamboo grass, Japanese pampas grass and other locally grown grass to cover the tea fields during the winter months. The benefits of this process are many, including restricting weed growth, adding organic matter to the soil and preventing soil erosion.
This has been the home for third generation farmer’s Tetsuro Tsuchiya’s family for over 400 years. Today, Tsuchiya lives in his 400-year-old family home, while diligently working on his tea farm. With 17 acres of land, Tsuchiya has been following the family tradition of tea farming for more than 60 years.
Currently, Tsuchiya hand plucks 30% of the tea. This award-winning tea is harvested in May, soon after the first flush. Neighbors, friends and family, even the town officials have been known to lend a hand to bring the tea to harvest.
To enhance the flavor of the tea, one week before the fields are plucked the plants are shaded under cloth suspended by bamboo poles. It is believed that this technique improves the tea’s flavor. Recent research done by the Shizuoka Prefectural Japanese Tea Industry Research Center has shown that shade production appears to increase the overall amino acid level in tea. Amino acids help to bring out the sweetness in the tea, according to Oscar Brekell, a Japanese tea instructor currently working at the research centre.
Tsuchiya and the majority of the farmers in the region continue to use the traditional Chagusaba, a method that recently received the FAO’s Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) recognition.
“The grass not only provides organic matter to the soil, it helps to neutralize the fertilizer and prevents burning,” said Tsuchiya. As an additional benefit, the Chagusaba method increased the overall biodiversity of the region. There are 300 species of plants found in the area, including 7 confirmed organisms that are either unique or endangered. It is a time consuming technique, but one that Tsuchiya believes is well worth the effort.
Planting seven cultivars, including a nursery of young plants, Tsuchiya takes a moment to observe his land and wonder about the future of tea production. His hope is that the younger generation carries on the tradition of tea production.
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Innovation Beautifully Integrated with Tradition
A variety of terrain in Shizuoka prefecture offers diversity in the teas grown.
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Innovation Beautifully Integrated with Tradition
Harvester ensures uniformly trim on Yamamoto farm.
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Innovation Beautifully Integrated with Tradition
Tomonobu Sano’s farm at the base of Mt. Fuji.
Next generation farmers
One individual who believes in the possibilities in the tea industry is Tomonobu Sano, who has been a tea farmer for the past 20 years. A third-generation family farmer, Sano learned growing and production methods from his father. With 4.5 hectares of land at the base of Mount Fuji, Sano has allocated half an acre for his hand plucked tea.
Innovation Beautifully Integrated with Tradition
Tomonobu Sano in his tea land.
“Hand plucking is very specific, only the first two leaves are plucked,” says Sano. “It involves about 25-30 people each year, picking just over 0.1 hectares a day. “Eager to try out new methods, Sano allocates a portion of the tea for hand-rolled Tenka Fuji. This tea, which was recently served to the Emperor, had not been created for over 130 years. Recently Sano decided to experiment with this form of hand rolling, which requires gently massaging and stretching the leaves a minimum of five times. The end result is fine needle-like tea leaves that are approximately three to four inches in length.
The remainder of his field is harvested mechanically beginning in May. With a nutrient-rich Mt. Fuji region brings forth unique characteristics in the green tea. The soil is further enhanced by incorporating the Chagusaba method eliminating the need for non-organic fertilizer. Wanting to share his love of tea with others, Sano opened a tea café about 10 years ago where he sells tea, pastries and tea ware, encouraging individuals to sit and share over a cup of tea.
The production of tea in Japan is a rich and multilayered story, incorporating technology, research and history to develop a quality cup of tea. It is a beautiful marriage of research and the producers, all working together with the hope to continue to share the uniqueness of Japanese tea both internally and abroad.