Where we make our tea: Nishiki, Kuma District, Kumamoto Prefecture

The tea is produced deep in the mountains, completely free from the clamor of the city. We also process all our tea on-site, so the cleanliness of the air and water is consistent right from planting to processing.

The area is famous locally as the "Origin of the Mist" and the large temperature swing between morning and night helps to make the most delicious tea. On our estate, the things that are natural – the soil, insects, water, and of course the tea – work together collectively and naturally. This is why, instead of using insecticides to exterminate pests, we look for assistance from beneficial bugs – the spiders, mantises and ladybugs – to do the job for us. We also harness the power of trillions of beneficial bacteria to keep the earth fertile. Good earth is rich in minerals, so much so that fawns and wild boar piglets come to eat it in the early spring.

“Nature provides everything we need”
Ochacha Honpo products are processed with painstaking care, but we leave the growing to Nature.