| A.D. 805 |
After studying abroad in China, Buddhist monks Saicho and Kukai returned to Japan with young tea trees. |
| A.D. 1191 |
Another Buddhist monk who had studied in China, Eisai, popularized the idea of drinking tea for good health. Around the same time, Japanese farmers began growing green tea in Uji. |
| A.D. 1211 |
Eisai wrote the first Japanese book about tea. |
| A.D. 1271 |
A Buddhist monk, Kohken first planted tea trees in Obuku area in the Uji
region of Kyoto. |
| A.D. 1738 |
In Uji, Soen Nagatani developed a new process of steam drying tea leaves. The new process, known as the Uji method, resulted in fresh, flavorful tea. It quickly replaced the traditional method of roasting and drying tea leaves. |
Obuku is the first place where tea trees were planted in the Uji region of Japan. They were planted by Kohken, a Buddhist monk, around A.D.1271, after Eisai popularized the idea of tea drinking in Japan around A.D.1191.
Obuku is a small area of land with a diameter of just 400 miles (600 meters). Even today, Obuku is known for producing very rare, highest grade Sencha. In Japan, there are only a few places where top grade Sencha is produced , and the Obuku area in Uji is one of them. Obuku is located in mountain ravines, where tiny streams run, and the soil is full of minerals. The misty climate, sloping hills, warm days and cool nights provide a very ideal setting to grow the highest grade tea. Indeed, Sencha produced in the Obuku area was presented to the Japanese Emperors for many years. (The tea leaves for our Sencha Pinnacle and Sencha Super Premium are harvested in the Obuku area.)
One special advantage of the Obuku region is that it never frosts, even on very cold winter mornings. Because of Obuku's unique geography, it is always mildly windy. It is said that the wind blows the frost away and that this is the reason why there is no frost in Obuku. Some farmers who own tea farms in the Obuku area wonder if the Buddhist monk, Kohken who planted tea trees at first in the Obuku area had known of these complex geographical features and optimum conditions for tea trees. If so, why and how had he known this such a long time ago?
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A memorial marker is built very near the tea farm where the first tea trees were planted in A.D.1271.
It is next to our tea farm for Sencha Pinnacle and Sencha Super Premium. |
Tiny stream running through the Obuku area |
The Obuku area is located in mountain ravines |
Sohen Nagatani invented the Uji green tea processing method in 1738 when he was 58 years old. Even today, his original tea processing method is still the standard method used throughout Japan. Before Sohen invented the Uji method, Japanese tea was just Matcha or Bancha (Houjicha). Matcha used to be extremely precious and was produced only in tiny quantities, so only the SHOGUN and nobility were able to drink Matcha. Only a handful of merchants had been approved to process Matcha. And the general populace at large drank only Bancha (Houjicha) that is a brown color. Sohen Nagatani wanted the common people of Japan to be able to have access to not only brown but also green tea.
Thus Sohen Nagatani invented the Uji cha processing method. In order for the farmers in the region to become wealthy, he taught them the secret of the Uji cha processing method without the least regret. Therefore the tea industry has had a tremendous impact on the development of the entire Uji region of Kyoto.
Sohen Nagatani is memorialized in the shrine next door to his birthplace.
And Sohen's grave was built on top of the highest hill in the Ujitawara
area near his birthplace for his achievements. Japanese tea merchants continuously
visit his grave as a sign of gratitude on October 1st of every year.
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| Birthplace of Sohen Nagatani |
Sohen's grave is located on top of the highest hill in this area |
The shrine dedicated to Sohen Nagatani
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Almost all kinds of Japanese tea are processed by kneading, except for matcha. Tea leaves are dried and kneaded using the application of heat. This process enables the tea to be easily brewed and to form the tea leaves into the proper shape. It is the Uji cha processing method invented by Sohen Nagatani.
A long time ago, tea leaves were processed by hand as shown in the images below. The processing was hard labor even for the strongest workers. It took about 4 hours to complete the initial processing, and a workman could bring just 4kg of tea leaves to completion in an entire day, though now a factory operated by a few men can bring 400kg to 800kg of tea leaves to completion. Today, production efficiency is about 70 times faster than processing by hand.
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| Paintings of processing by hand (The possession of Uji Museum of Historical Materials) |
Tea jars filled with Shincha, green tea from the first harvest of the year in Uji, were carried on foot from Uji to Edo (Tokyo), which is a distance of over 500km. The procession was composed of only a small number of people. It took about 12 to 14 days on foot.
The general populace was never permitted to drink Shincha, green tea from
the first harvest of the year, until completion of the Ocha Tsubo Dohtyu
journey. Ocha Tsubo Dohtyu gave the absolute authority, and the populace
had to improve everything - the road, bridge, neighboring plants and buildings
- along the way in advance. The general populace and even the feudal lords
had to respectfully kneel down on the ground when the procession passed
by.
The SHOGUN and nobility held green tea from Uji in the highest regard. Uji was and still is today, known for producing the highest quality green teas in Japan.
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| Paintings of Ocha Tsubo Dohtyu (The possession of Uji Museum of Historical
Materials) |
Though today some Gyokuro lovers enjoy newly harvested Gyokuro too, it
is the traditional wisdom that Matcha and Gyokuro generally gain an enriched
flavor and sweetness over time, and are best some months after harvest.
In the Japanese tea ceremony, even today people celebrate aged Matcha in the ceremony called Kuchikiri no Gi every autumn. Kuchikiri no Gi means the ceremony of opening a special jar of tea. Matcha and Gyokuro used to be placed in a large tea jar. This tea jar was then sealed and stored in a cool place like the top of a high mountain or in the ground after harvest until autumn. People would first enjoy that year's Matcha and Gyokuro in the autumn after the Kuchikiri no Gi ceremony. And it was said that when the jar lid first opened in autumn, the delicious fragrance of the tea filled the room and was so wonderful that there were no words to describe it.
Today, the Kuchikiri no Gi ceremony is still held by local tea farmers and a school of Teaism at Kosho Temple in Uji on the first Sunday of October every year in order to honor the forerunners who contributed to developing Japanese tea culture.
The ceremony is thus followed:
- Water is gathered by ladle from the river at Uji Bridge in the way of
Hideyoshi Toyotomi, kanpaku (powerful ruler) in Japan, who supported Rikyu
Sen to indurate Teaism. He always used the water from Uji Bridge every
day in order to prepare his Matcha.
- The water is solemnly and mindfully carried to Kosho Temple.
- The tea jar which was filled with tea leaves and sealed in the harvest season is opened according to traditional procedure.
- Matcha is prepared by the present head of the school of Teaism.
- A bowl of Matcha is offered before the tablet of the ancestors who contributed
to developing Japanese tea culture.
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Kosho Temple |
Carrying the water gathered from the river at Uji Bridge
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Opening the tea jar |
Prepared matcha by the present head of the school of Teaism |
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Offered matcha before the tablet of the ancestors |
The tea jar |
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In Japan, green tea is often presented as a gift to celebrate special events, holidays, birthdays, or to send wishes of good health and long life to friends and family. It is a suitable gift for any special occasion such as a wedding, college graduation, or the purchase of a new home.
- Japanese green tea has been highly valued and treasured as a precious medicine for health and longevity since green tea was introduced to Japan in A.D. 805 by Buddhist monks.
- Beginning in A.D. 1738, Sohen Nagatani invented the Japanese green tea processing methods which are still used today to pick and prepare the leaves. Green tea has always been the most popular beverage in Japan, believed to contribute to health and well being. Today, we understand some of the reasons why green tea is so healthy. It is full of nutrients such as Catechin, Teanin, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin A and many others.
- Tea trees are not deciduous; they do not loose their leaves. Even after continual harvesting, the tea trees sprout patiently and energetically, especially in spring. Tea trees are very strong and resilient and live for many years. That analogy transfers directly into the tea leaf and then into your tea cup providing you and your loved ones health and long life.
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| The monument saying the birth place of Japanese tea |
The birthplace of Sohen Nagatani who invented today's Japanese green tea processing method |
Processing by skilled hands by traditional way |
The Japanese tea tree is an amazingly healthy and vivacious plant that thrives in the lush Uji region. Soon after the tea farmers gather leaves to make Ichibancha, the first tea of the year, new second-growth leaves appear. It is possible to gather tea leaves two to five times per year in Japan.
Tea gathered in April and May is called "Ichibancha" meaning new tea or first tea of the year. In the Spring, the land is most fertile and that gives Ichibancha the best flavor. From June to July, the farmers gather "Nibancha" or second pick of the year. "Sanbancha" the third pick, soon follows. This continues until the first frost appears in late Autumn or Winter.
In the Uji area, Gyokuro is made from the first pick, while Sencha is made from the first, second and third picks.
But at Hibiki-an, all of our teas are made exclusively from only Ichibancha, the first pick of the year.
Japanese green tea is usually harvested between two and five times each year from Spring to Autumn. But, Ichibancha (the first pick) is by far the best. Similar to the Beaujolais Nouveau of French wine, Shincha celebrates the first tea harvest of the year. However, not all Ichibancha is Shincha. Only the Ichibancha, sold specifically in celebration of the first pick of the year, is called Shincha.
In the Uji-Kyoto region, Ichibancha is harvested in May and June. In the Kyushu region, such as Kagoshima or Miyazaki, where it is warmer, Ichibancha is harvested in March and April.
Because Sencha's aroma is the best just after harvesting, Shincha Sencha is very delicious.
On the contrary, Gyokuro also gains an enriched flavor and deep noble aroma and sweetness over time, and so is best some months after harvest. A long time ago, people celebrated aged Gyokuro as the Shincha of Gyokuro in autumn. It was called Kuradashi Gyokuro meaning Gyokuro taken out from the granary.
Today's Gyokuro lovers favor both fresh Gyokuro and enriched Kuradashi Gyokuro. It just depends on each person's individual taste and preference to know which kind will be their favorite. However, it is more and more difficult to find real enriched Kuradashi Gyokuro even in Japan. It is not easy to enrich and sweeten Gyokuro. If one doesn't keep a close watch over their Gyokuro, it will easily deteriorate. Like a fine wine, aged Gyokuro can easily pass from a state of being deliciously enriched to a state of being deteriorated.
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