Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/658240
54 STiR tea & coffee industry international / Issue 2, 2016 (April/May) A variety of terrain in Shizuoka prefecture offers diversity in the teas grown. Passionate about the industry and the culture of tea, Yamamoto studied under a master teacher, while also seeking guidance and collaboration from others in the pro- duction industry. Primarily a green tea producer, in the last eight years, he has begun to explore black tea production to address the evolving palates of the Japanese tea consumer. Although still fairly new to the market, the reception has been positive. "Japanese black tea has a special aroma, flavor, and taste, "said Yamamoto." It embod- ies the umami flavor that the Japanese palate is attuned towards." Yamamoto's farm is in the town of Makinohara, benefiting from both the temper- ate climate and the level terrain that is ideal for machine harvesting. His factory has recently been updated with top of the line equipment, allowing Yamamoto to produce quality tea within 24 hours. The manufacturing process for sencha alone requires sev- eral machines including steaming, several tea rollers and a tea dryer. He shares with pride how technology and research has ensured that the tea processed and harvested is consistent and of the highest quality. However; there are some regions in Japan were large machinery cannot travel. One of these regions is the hillside town of Kawanhon, a town, which until recently was not accessible by vehicle. A step back in time Deep within this hillside of Kawanhon, resides an entire tea community devoted to re- taining the traditional methods of tea production. With 10,000 hectares of tea fields, 80 of the 120 families in the region grow and process tea. Without access to fertilizer, the traditional farmers developed methods to ensure that the land was nutrient rich. One of these methods is known as Chagusaba. This method involves adding bamboo grass, Japanese pampas grass and other locally grown grass to cover the tea fields during the winter months. The benefits of this process are many, including restricting weed growth, adding organic matter to the soil and preventing soil erosion. This has been the home for third generation farmer's Tetsuro Tsuchiya's family for over 400 years. Today, Tsuchiya lives in his 400-year-old family home, while diligently working on his tea farm. With 17 acres of land, Tsuchiya has been following the family tradition of tea farming for more than 60 years. Currently, Tsuchiya hand plucks 30% of the tea. This award-winning tea is har- vested in May, soon after the first flush. Neighbors, friends and family, even the town officials have been known to lend a hand to bring the tea to harvest. To enhance the flavor of the tea, one week before the fields are plucked the plants are shaded under cloth suspended by bamboo poles. It is believed that this technique improves the tea's flavor. Recent research done by the Shizuoka Prefectural Japanese Tea Industry Research Center has shown that shade production appears to increase the overall amino acid level in tea. Amino acids help to bring out the sweetness in the tea, Tetsuro Tsuchiya describes his farm Tomonobu Sano in his tea land. Just brewed hand-rolled tea leaves from Sano's farm