Our Tea Partners
Murakami Tea Farm
Shizuoka, Japan | Yoshiwara Sencha
According to Hiroki Murakami, who will become the farm's 4th generation master, the family doesn't know exactly when they started farming tea, though his great-grandfather was the one who built their first processing factory in the late 19th century. Based in the Yoshiwara district, a mountainous region famous for its sea of clouds within the municipality of Shizuoka City, the family produces about 2 tons of tea altogether per year (first and second flushes).
Shinichi Kihara
Uji, Kyoto | Uji Kabusecha
Located around the hills of Kyoto, Shinichi Kihara is a generational tea farmer having inherited the current 3500 sq. meters of land from his father. As a member of the Shumei Natural Agriculture Network Kihara-san farms his tea fields using no fertilizer and no pesticides. With mostly his wife and parents as help on the farm Kihara-sans tea is quite hard to find outside of Japan.
Kirokuen Tea
Wazuka, Kyoto | Oyako Ceremonial Matcha + Wazuka Kabusecha
Across 26 tea fields in Wazuka, the Hori family—Megumi Hori, along with her sister and mother—are continuing the family's nearly century-long tea legacy. After the passing of her father several years ago, Megumi left her career as a graphic designer returning to help her mother continue the family farm.
Tarui Tea Farm
Shizuoka, Japan | Genmaicha Kobashi
A family-operated tea farm, factory, and shop established in 1970 in the small town of Nearai on the outskirts of Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka. 2nd generation farmer Takayuki Tarui cultivates multiple cultivars on separate fields on the flatlands of Nearai and in the mountains nearby. Growing organically since his father started the farm, Tarui-san certified his farm and factory JAS organic in 2003.
Nishide Tea Factory
Uji, Kyoto | Gyokuro Soheki
The Nishide Tea Factory is managed by husband and wife team, Takashi and Atsuko Nishide and their family. Established over 140 years ago, the Nishide family buys aracha tea (unrefined leaves) from the tea farms of Kyoto and surrounding prefectures, and refines them further to craft high quality tea leaves that are uniform in color and shape.
Morita Tea Garden
Saitama, Japan | Sayama Hojicha
The Morita family are 11th generation tea farmers, located in the Sayama region of Saitama Prefecture. Affected by the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant failure in 2011, their tea has been tested to be radiation free but is still mostly overlooked by larger vendors. We excited to help out the Morita family by connecting them with tea lovers around the world.