Producer

Azuma Tea Farm

- Japan

Plot of land planted with Zairai or "native" tea bushes from seeds, thus with a varied aspect

Plot planted with tea cultivar Okumidori

Shading of Okumidori tea plants for future matcha

Young shoots of Zairai tea plants called "native" because they come from seeds and therefore have a heterogeneous aspect

Young shoots of Okumidori clonal tea plants, therefore of homogeneous aspect

Mr. Takashi Kanai visiting my studio in Paris

The old crates, the kanbitsu, which were used to market the tea in bulk: it is mentioned "Yamashiro - Wazuka - Azuma Tea Garden - Produced with care"

Mr. Takashi Kanai in front of his factory

The tencha leaves, raw tea, which will then be grinded to give matcha

Takashi Kanai and his family

Azuma Tea Farm was founded in 1868, the first year of the Meiji era of renewal. Mr. Takashi Kanai is the 4th generation to develop this historic tea heritage.

Azuma Tea Farm is located in Wazuka, a few kilometers from the town of Uji, the birthplace of matcha.

On 5 ha, Takashi Kanai San and his family produce matcha, one of their specialties, as well as sencha, known as Zairai, from tea plants reproduced by seed rather than cuttings, each with its own genetic specificity and taste, and hojicha leaf and powder.

I invite you to discover 4 of these teas in my store: Matcha Okumidori, Kabusecha Ujimidori, Sencha Zairai "natif", and Hoji Tencha.

And if you'd like to see Azuma Tea Farm's semi-mechanized harvest of Sencha Zairai "native", which is very common in Japan: