Tea Information From 日本茶BANK
2022.05.26 Update
Ancient Yame Tea, Its Future @ Yabe Tea, Yame Tea (Yabe Village, Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture) by Kurihara Seicha
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Yame” in Fukuoka, a production area of high-grade gyokuro
The generic name for tea in this region is Yamecha (Yame tea).
Within Yame City, the teas have their own regional names: Hoshino tea in Hoshino Village, Yabe tea in Yabe Village, and Kamiyo tea in Kamiyo Town, and so on.
Mostly deep steamed. And then there is sencha.
The tea is sweet, rich and tasty, and this area is also known for producing high quality gyokuro.
The origin of Yamecha tea is said to be that the monk Shuzui built Reiganji Temple in 1423 and also introduced tea cultivation.
It is said that tea was brought to Japan at the same time as the arrival of Buddhism, but I sometimes wonder if there might be tea trees in the mountains somewhere in Japan that are indigenous to Japan before that time.
Visit to Yamecha tea production site
This time we visited Kurihara Seicha in Yabe Village, Yame City.
Kurihara Seicha’s “green tea” and “black tea” have won double awards at the “Domestic Tea Fest” hosted by our company.
The brothers run the tea business, but since their older brother Yuji ran for and won a seat in the prefectural assembly, Akio, the younger brother, is now the main tea producer.
And this is the most remote and secluded part of Yame City.
The elevation is 600 to 700 meters above sea level.
Right there is the border with Oita Prefecture (Nakatsue Village).
Kurihara Seicha’s tea is what is called “mountain tea.
The factory is located next to a beautiful river.
At the entrance to the factory is a cherished Jizo statue.
Among the tea fields in Yame City, the new tea season starts about a month later than in lower elevation areas, which used to be a bottleneck, but now tea is “the era of aroma.
Consumers are now fans of the high fragrance and the personality of the tea growers.
The Kurihara brothers’ amiability, reassuring looks, and fragrant tea.
Kurihara Seicha is often visited by tea fans.
Kurihara Seicha carefully conveys the tea making process.
We look forward to seeing you represent Fukuoka’s tea producers in the future.
Kurihara Seicha, proud of their tea
Kurihara Seicha produces a wide range of teas, including “gyokuro,” which won the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award at the National Tea Fair.
Preserving the traditional Okuyame tea “Yabe tea
Yame tea is produced here in the same region as Sayama tea.
(Produce, manufacture, and sell their own products).
The number of customers who come to buy directly from the tea growers is aging.
The customers who come every year are now getting older, and they face the same challenges as the producers…
This is the same in all regions.
The taste for tea is changing from flavor to aroma, and all tea production areas are now faced with the need to respond to the intersection of current tastes and ancient traditions. ・・・・
Kurihara Seicha also receives tea leaves from aging tea growers in the area and produces tea.
In this way, we are preserving and passing on the traditional Okuyame tea “Yabe-cha”.
Mr. Kurihara’s humility in tackling new things with sincerity is reflected in the taste of his tea.
It tastes like the spirit of the mountains.
Basic Information on Kurihara Seicha
Brand name: Yabe tea (Yame tea) Yame-shi, Fukuoka
Producer Name:Kurihara Seicha
Address: 4236 Kitayabe, Yabe-mura, Yame, Fukuoka
◆HP：https://www.e-yamecha.com/