Tea production area: Uchikoshi Town (Kaga City)
Brand name of tea: Kaga tea, Kaga bocha and Kaga no hojicha
Type of tea: Dark tea (post-fermentation tea)Sencha (steamed green tea), bocha (stem tea), hoji-cha (roasted green tea), black tea, etc.

History of tea in Ishikawa Prefecture
Tea cultivation began in Ishikawa Prefecture during the Edo Period. It was ordered to develop an industry of the Daishoji Domain which is a subsidy of the Kaga Domain, and tea seeds were brought from Kyoto and planted in Kaga. At the beginning of the Edo Period, the tea was exported to the United State.
After that, most of the tea fields were converted to rice fields due to the agricultural field improvement project, but there are still tea fields and tea is produced in Uchikoshi Town, Kaga City.

Tea fields in Uchikoshi Town (September 2018)

Chanoyu (茶の湯 Japanese tea ceremony) in Kaga
Due to Toshiie MAEDA (1539-1599), the first lord of the Kaga Domain, being strongly devoted to Chanoyu during the Edo Period, the culture of Chanoyu and Japanese confectionary became deeply rooted, and the culture of Japanese confectionary developed in the Kaga Domain. There are many Japanese confectionary shops and tearooms where you can have matcha and Japanese confectionary, especially in Kanazawa City which is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture.

Matcha and a Japanese confectionery at Miyoshian
Photo provided by Miyoshian https://miyoshian.net

Hojicha and Kaga bocha
Hojicha has been a popular drink in Ishikawa Prefecture since long ago. Kaga bocha especially is famous, a roasted green tea made mostly from stems. Kaga bocha made by Maruhachi seichaba was presented to the Emperor Showa in 1983 when he visited Ishikawa Prefecture. Maruhachi seichaba has a long history, first established in 1863.

Factory of Maruhachi seichaba where you can view the tea-making process (September 2018)

Kenjo Kaga bocha (Kaga bocha presented to the Emperor Showa) (September 2018)

Uchikoshi Seicha Nogyokyodo Kumiai (Uchikoshi tea agricultural cooperative association)
Tea has been cultivated since the Edo Period in Uchikoshi Town, Kaga City. Uchikoshi Seicha Nogyokyodo Kumiai was established in 1948, and they are producing sencha, bocha, hojicha and black tea.
Their black tea is served in a tearoom, “茶房 茶の樹 (Sabo Chanoki)” near the factory.  The black tea has less bitterness and astringency but has a slight sweetness.
*CHAMART has translated 打越製茶農業協同組合 into English, so the English name is not its official name.

Uchikoshi tea processing factory (September 2018)

Inside the factory (September 2018)

Kaga kocha (black tea) at Tearoom 茶房 茶の樹 (Sabo Chanoki) (September 2018)

*When visiting the shops and facilities introduced in this article, please check the business hours on their website, etc. before visiting. Please contact the organizer for current information on the events introduced in this article. The shops and facilities may be closed, and the events may be canceled due to the spread of the coronavirus.

Related article on the site:

Tea related facilities:
打越製茶農業協同組合 https://www.kaga-cha.com
加賀棒茶丸八製茶場 https://www.kagaboucha.co.jp
実生 https://misho.kagaboucha.com
茶房茶の樹 https://chanoki.hp.gogo.jp/pc/index.html

Tea mascot Yuru-Chara: 

Tea related event: 

Ceramic and pottery art: Kutani ware

Reference:
松下智 (平成3年) 日本名茶紀行 (初版) 雄山閣出版
加賀棒茶丸八製茶場 https://www.kagaboucha.co.jp
打越製茶農業協同組合 https://www.kaga-cha.com

*When visiting the shops and facilities introduced in this article, please check the business hours on their website, etc. before visiting.
*The information provided on this site may be updated. If you find any information in this article that is incorrect, new, or incomplete, please contact CHAMART.
*The site does not describe all “Teas of Japan” or all “Teas of the World”. Additionally, each article expresses the writer’s personal experience and feelings.

#kagabocha #kaga