Spring tea harvest in Japan has already begun! And this year it is earlier than usual. February and March this year were warmer than normal and tea started sprouting early. Therefore, tea harvesting in most tea growing regions around the country started about a week earlier compared to last year. In Kagoshima tea auction opened […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
In September summer heats start to subside and the tea harvesting begins again. While we are waiting for the news about the autumn harvest we already have the results of the 74th National Japanese Tea Competition that was held at the end of August. The best gyokuro this year comes from Yame, Fukuoka, while tea […]
April to July is the most intensive time for Japanese tea. In August, when the summer heats hit, tea farm work simmers down. It gives a chance to look back on the two main seasons and evaluate the tea of this year. With that in mind the national Japanese tea competition was held in Kagoshima […]
Still in the middle of the pandemic, in July Japan got hit by another disaster – heavy rain and floods. The devastating effects were felt throughout Kyushu island and central Japan. Sadly, the disaster did not bypass tea and several tea farms in the south got damaged by floods and landslides. The government of Japan […]