History Goishicha’s production is almost exclusively limited to the area around Ootoyo town in Kōchi prefecture, where it is registered as a trademark of the Ootoyo Town Goishicha Cooperative. The exact moment of its start in Japan is unknown but it is thought that goishicha first appeared in the 18th century. Although historically not attested, […]
History Awabancha is an artisan-produced post-fermented tea from Tokushima prefecture. According to the legend, its long tradition dates back to the ninth century. The production of awabancha is said to have been handed down by the Buddhist monk Kōbō Daishi, also known as Kūkai, who taught local people how to make tea from the trees […]
For the last few years the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has been publishing reports about the Japanese tea situation. The reports normally include the overview of production, demand & consumption, import & export, etc. Most of these reports are only available in Japanese. A few exceptions were a report published in May […]
Have you heard of Obukucha – the special tea that people in Japan drink around the new year? The name Obukucha (大福茶), translated from Japanese means good fortune tea. It is usually drunk on the first days of the new year to bring good luck and good health for the coming year. The tradition was […]
At the end of the year it is time to look into the future. And Japan is actually looking 5 years ahead. The government set on a plan to significantly increase export of agricultural produce by 2025. The export of Japanese tea is expected to more than double from ¥14.6 billion in 2019 to ¥31.2 […]
November brings a beautiful change of colours in Japan, however, the situation in the tea world continues to be a difficult one. Many tea producers and sellers have experienced a drop in sales and profits this year. To assist the tea farmers, some tea regions, like Yokkaichi in Mie, are providing financial support. Perhaps the […]
Introduction Just like China with its pu-erh, Japan has its post-fermented tea too. However, Japanese post-fermented teas are produced only in small quantities and are very geographically specific! Most of these teas are produced in small rural villages, where this very particular tradition is being kept alive by a few people, usually of the older […]
October is almost the end of the autumn tea harvesting season. The last few tea leaves will be harvested in the next few days and then will come a long period of rest. With the decreasing amount of the field work, there is more time for promotion. Many tea producing prefectures in Japan have been […]