Tea production area: Iruma City, Tokorozawa City, Sayama City and Chichibu Province  
Brand name of tea: Sayama tea, Kawagoe tea and Chichibu tea
Types of tea: Sencha (medium steamed green tea), fukamushicha (deep steamed green tea), tencha, matcha, gyokuro (high quality steamed green tea), kabusecha, kukicha (stem tea), hojicha (roasted steamed green tea), powdered tea, black tea, flavored tea and black tea

History of Sayama tea
An old document mentions that tea was produced in around 830 AD.
The tea cultivated and produced in the Sayama hills of the Musashino Plateau was exported to America between the beginning of the Meiji period to the Showa Period.

Tea fields in Iruma City (June 2019)

Sayama tea
Saitama Prefecture is one of major tea production areas in Japan.
Tea is cultivated in Iruma City, Tokorozawa City, Sayama City on the Musashino Plateau and Chichibu area.
The Musashino Plateau is a layer of red soil formed by the accumulation of volcanic ash, has good drainage, and is suitable for tea cultivation.
Now the tea is cultivated and produced in Saitama Prefecture is called Sayama tea.

Consistent system of tea cultivation, production and distribution
The characteristic of Sayama tea is that many tea farmers use the integrated system which includes cultivation, production and sales.

Tea fields on Kanekodai in Iruma City (June 2019)
The view from Sakuradai viewing platform

Sayama firing
Hire (火入れ）is firing tea leaves, the final process to refine tea leaves. Sayama hire is its own unique process. It takes time to slowly fire tea leaves at a low temperature. Because of this, Sayama tea has a unique aroma.

Sayama tea (February 2018)

Kenzo Takabayashi, inventor of tea processing machines
Kenzo Takabayashi, who is known as the father of the modern tea industry in Japan, was born in 1832 in Saitama Prefecture.
While he was working as a doctor, he managed tea gardens and realized what hard work making tea by hand was. He invented many machines, such as for roasting, steaming rolling tea leaves, etc. after many years of effort.

The exhibit related to Kenzo Takabayashi at the tea museum (February 2018)

Tea museum, Iruma City Museum ALIT
There is a corner of “The World of TEA” at the permanent exhibition room in Iruma City Museum ALIT. There are many exhibits related to Sayama tea, tea around the world. Visitors can learn about the history of tea, culture, customs, manufacturing method, etc.
There is a restaurant “茶処一煎 (Chadokoro Issen) on the premises of the museum, and you can drink Sayama tea and eat lunch and sweets made with Sayama tea.

The old tea processing devises exhibited at the museum (February 2018)

The exhibits related to Furicha in Japan at the museum (February 2018)

Related article on the site: 

Tea related facilities: 
Tea museum, Iruma City Museum ALIT 入間博物館ALIT
https://www.alit.city.iruma.saitama.jp
入間市 http://www.city.iruma.saitama.jp
Sakuradai viewing platform 桜山展望台
http://www.city.iruma.saitama.jp/shisetsu/shisetsu_others/shisetsu_others06.html

Tea mascot Yuru-Chara: Irutea (Iruma City)

Ceramic and pottery art: Shibutami Hannou ware

Reference:
入間市博物館ALIT(アリット) https://www.alit.city.iruma.saitama.jp
埼玉県　お茶のページ www.pref.saitama.lg.jp/a0904/chagyou-top.html
入間市観光協会　http://iruma-kanko.jp
高野實、谷本陽蔵、富田勲、中川致之、岩浅潔、寺元益英、山田新市 執筆 (社)日本茶業中央会監修 (2005) 緑茶の事典 改定3版 柴田書店
松下智 (平成3年) 日本名茶紀行 (初版) 雄山閣出版
青木雅子 (1994) みどりのしずくを求めて–製茶機械の父、高林謙三– (第1刷) けやき書房

*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.

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