Japan is made up of four major islands and over 3000 small islands. With more than 80% of Japan’s landmass mountains, it leaves little room left over to divide up between the people, cities, and agriculture. |
After the U.S., Japan is the next most industrialized coun- try in the world, having risen to the challenge of utilizing every square foot of avail- able land to it’s best advantage.Even with the minimum of workable land, Japan still managed to rank 8th inworld tea production in 2004, and 13th for tea exports.Even though it can’t compete with the volume of tea produced by other major tea producing countries, Japan ranks at the top for its effic- ient, precise production methods. They have gone from making handmade teas |
tea in the 19th century, and on to computer-automated machines in the 20th century, with work- ers performing their tasks in state-of-the-art factories.UnlikeChina, Japan’s tea gardens aren’t situated high atop mountains in steep, terraced plots, but rather are carefully arranged on softly undulating hills in straight, well manicured rows. With growing space at a premium its important that every square foot of land be used efficiently, producing the highest tea yield possible.Most of Japan’s tea is harvested either by high volume mechanical shearing machines, or hand held mechanical cutting shears. In the case of the hand held shears, a pair of workers face each other across a row of tea, each holding an end, and guiding the shears across the top of the row of tea bushes. In larger gardens, where rows have been planted to accommodate Approximately 200-300 pounds of tea can be plucked per worker, |
Even though all Japanese teas are essentially green, each individual tea requires different steps in the manufacturing process. There are nine basic steps in processing Japan’s green teas, with as many as 12 to 14 other intermediary steps added. The first six basic steps produce aracha, and the last three are finishing steps for the final tea refining, or shiagecha. Lets exa- mine the nine basic steps:It starts, of course, where all tea starts, in the field with plucking. From there the fresh- ly plucked leaf is quickly brought to the fact- ory and placed in the green leaf pre- server where it remains for several hours, until the production line is ready for it. While waiting, air is blown over the top of the leaf to keep it cool.Step two is steaming, to stop the oxi- dation of the leaf. It is steamed for 30 to 45 seconds, up to 120 seconds for deep steamed teas such as Fukamushi Sencha. After steaming the In step four the tea is transferred to a rotary rolling ma- Next comes the secondary tea roller/dryer which further With the completion of the first six steps the moisture in the leaf is now approximately These last three steps of the refining process bring out and Both large and small tea companies process and refine tea from aracha. It’s a common Because all of the tea grown in Japan is used to produce just a few different styles, Japanese tea is always blended |