The 2020 crop has landed!
The 2020 crop has landed!
Since the late 17th century, the Nakai family has been cultivating tea in the village of Wazuka, Kyoto. The 6th tea master, Masao Nakai, began organic and non-pesticide cultivation in 1980, a time when few people were concerned about producing organically. Aiming to create an agricultural system that coexists with the natural environment of the beautiful mountains, Nakai-san was a pioneer in the tea industry of Kyoto. His son, 7th tea master Michio Nakai, continues this tradition today.
The Nakai Tea Factory has been producing tea in this rich region since the Genroku Era (late 1600s). Since then the 6th proprietor, Masao Nakai, began organic and non-pesticide cultivation in 1980, a time when the word organic was hardly ever used, aiming for a harmonious coexistence with the natural environment. It was a revolutionary move that surprised everyone in the tea industry
After much trial and errors, a quality recognized by professionals The belief of the Nakai Tea Factory is that producers should, above all else, "create tea that's good for those who drink it, and the environment." This began with Mr. Nakai himself worried over residual pesticides in his body. "Continuing like this is not good for people, society, or the future." He began organic cultivation with this in mind, but faced difficulties such as production volume seeing a drastic 30% decrease over the years. It wasn't until the 7th year of taking on this new challenge until things got on track. The fields and tea trees became lively and the production volume rapidly increased. In winning a prize at the Kansai Fine Tea Fair in 2000 its good quality has been acknowledged.
The garden that has been inherited over the generations is on the slope of a mountain, optimal for tea cultivation. Surrounded by wooded area, and with no neighboring tea fields or farmlands, this region is perfect for organic, pesticide-free cultivation.
We are proud to make this tea sincerely using traditional methods. The tea undergoes the inspection for organic certification once a year, and we use an integrated system from production to sales in order to protect the quality. Processing is carried out by skilled craftsmen at our factory using modern facilities, in order to not harm the flavor of the tea leaves.
