Ibaraki｜Drink LEAF TEA and Protect Nature

2020/10/31

Kanto Ibaraki

Ibaraki

Tea production area: Sakai Town, Joso City, Yachiyo Town, Bando City, Furuuchi City, Koga City, Daigo Town and Shirosato Town
Brand name of tea: Sashima tea, Okukuji tea and Furuuchi tea
Types of tea: Sencha (medium steamed green tea),fukamushicha (deep steamed green tea), kukicha (stem tea), hojicha (roasted green tea), genmaicha (popped rice green tea), kabusecha (shaded green tea), black tea, gyokuro (high quality shaded tea), bancha and powdered tea

3 famous tea brands
Tea production in Ibaraki Prefecture has a history of more than 400 years. There are three famous tea brands, “Sashima”, “Okukuji” and “Furuuchi”. The tea leaf is thick and sencha (steamed green tea) and has a full body, rich flavor, with moderate bitterness and astringency.
Both normal and deep steamed green teas, black tea and various teas are produced.

Tea fields of Takamien (May 2020) Photo provided by 高見園
https://www.facebook.com/takamicafe

Sashima tea
Sashima tea is cultivated and produced in the Sashima area of the west part of Ibaraki Prefecture.
Sashima tea was the first Japanese tea to be exported to the United States. When the Black Ships led by Matthew Perry, Commodore of the United States Navy, arrived at Uraga, the entrance to Edo (Tokyo) Bay, a wealthy farmer, Motonari Nakayama, living in the Sashima area, realized the importance of overseas markets and arranged to export the tea to the United States.
There are a variety of products using Sashima tea, such as sweets, mixtures of powdered tea seeds & leaves, beer, supplements, etc. You can buy such products at Michinoeki Sakai.

Sashima tea (sencha), Noguchi Kumataro chaen (March 2019)

Photo on the left: Sashima tea pudding Photo on the right: Seasoning with tea
Photos provided by Noguchi Kumataro chaen https://www.greentea.co.jp

Tanecha (種子茶 Tea seeds tea) , Noguchi Kumataro chaen (March 2019)

Photos provided by Noguchi Kumataro chaen https://www.greentea.co.jp

Sashima tea ale (March 2019)

Okukuji tea
Okukuji cha is cultivated and produced in Daigo Town mainly, which is located in northwestern Ibaraki Prefecture.
It is said that a Buddhist monk brought back tea seeds from Uji and planted them around the end of the Muromachi period ( 1336-1573), and it was the beginning of Okukuji tea.
Some tea farmers of Okukuji tea say that Okukuji tea is ban ga kiku (番が効く). It means that the tea has full body and rich flavor, and one teaspoon of tea leaves can brew many cups of tasty tea.

Okukuji black tea and apple jelly, Takamien (March 2019)

Chanosato tunnel 茶の里トンネル (Chanosato means tea village)
There is a tunnel with a tea flower illustration on the prefectural border of Ibaraki Prefecture and Tochigi Prefecture.

Chanosato (tea village) tunnel located at the prefectural border of Ibaraki and Tochigi Prefectures (March 2019)

Furunai tea
Furunai tea is cultivated and produced in Shirosato Town.
A tea cafe event was held in Furunai in 2019 where tea farmers’ gardens were opened to visitors to be served tea and snacks.

Teas from various areas of Japan

Return to the top page of Teas of Japan

Teas of the World