Special features in location, cultivation & processing
The tea farm lies on the valley slopes of the idyllic Abe River in Shizuoka, a region renowned for its ideal conditions for high-quality tea cultivation. The local climate alternates between cool mornings and evenings and warm midday temperatures, often creating a gentle morning mist that naturally moistens and lightly shades the tea plants. This microclimate encourages the development of a delicate, natural mountain umami and allows the tea plants to grow slowly and gently.
The combination of this distinctive climate, Shizuoka’s nutrient-rich soils and pure water has long been prized not only for tea cultivation but also for the region’s famous wasabi production.
The farm itself has been run by the same family for 15 generations and began its gradual transition to organic tea cultivation in 1989. This conversion required a long period of adjustment for both soil and plants and resulted in three years without harvest or income. Despite the uncertainty of this transition, the tea farmers of Honyama were determined to create a healthy, natural product that would harm neither people nor nature, whether in cultivation or consumption.
To sustain this philosophy, the farm even produces its own Bokashi fertiliser, made from by-products of its own livestock and rice cultivation. In this way, the tea production forms a closed, natural cycle, deeply rooted in the landscape from which these teas originate.
Honyama Terroir
The terroir of Honyama is not a clearly defined geographical place one will find marked on a map. Rather, it is a term from tea culture used to describe the cultivation area of the so-called “true mountain tea” of Shizuoka. The region surrounding the Abe and Warashina rivers is regarded as an ideal growing area and has a history of tea cultivation spanning over 800 years.
Due to the excellent climatic conditions (with cool mornings and evenings, warm midday temperatures, and the characteristic mist that forms between them), the tea plants have optimal conditions for slow, balanced growth. In combination, the mineral-rich mountain soils, the pure groundwater flowing from the Southern Alps, and the gentle mountain mist create a refreshingly clear aroma and a deep, multi-layered flavour, distinctly different from teas grown in the lowlands.
Single Origin
This tea comes 100% from the above-mentioned tea fields in Honyama, sourced directly from the tea farmer.
