By Zach and Caitlyn
As we near the last week of the TREK, our visited the Obubu Tea Plantation (not to be confused with labubu) in Wazuka which is located in the southern part of the Kyoto prefecture. For our class, tea is one of the four commodities that we are focusing on, as it has played a significant role in Japanese society for over hundreds of years. Beyond its deep historical roots, this popular beverage serves as a cultural symbol of the nation – and during our visit to the Obubu Tea Plantation, we witnessed one of the ways that tea is maintained. For the first stop of our visit, we saw a field of camellia sinensis, a tea bush that can grow up to 20 meters tall if left unmanaged. It is typically maintained as a shorter bush for a more successful cultivation. Today, tea remains an important part of daily life and Japanese traditions, with different varieties reflecting regional growing conditions and production methods.
First, the tea fields of Wazuka provide ideal conditions for producing high-quality tea. The region has around 600 hectares of tea plantations and manages around 30 different fields that are rented from different landowners, including land associated with a shrine that dates back over 1,400 years. Tea cultivation in the area has continued for roughly 800 years and has traditionally been passed down through generations, but many younger people are no longer interested in farming, which has impacted the tea economy in Wazuka especially. The existence of the Obubu Tea Plantation, however, combats this deficit with its international intern population.
It is also important to note that there are several environmental factors that contribute to the quality of the tea, including elevation, nutrient-rich soil, mineral content, and the presence of mist. Temperatures between 10 to 30 degrees celsius help create mist that naturally shades and cools the plants, resulting in less bitter tea leaves. Farmers harvest sencha three times each year, once in the spring, summer, and autumn, with the spring harvest being especially valued. After harvest, the leaves must be processed immediately to prevent browning (similar to that of an avocado being exposed to oxygen). Obubu differs from many tea producers because it oversees every stage of production, from harvesting and blending to packaging and shipping, supporting its mission of bringing Japanese tea to the world.
We followed up the trip to the tea leaves by going to the factory where all the tea is processed and packaged. The tea processing involves a blend of specialized machinery and handcraftmanship. The major focus in this step is regulating the moisture and temperature control. Both these elements have an effect on the tea’s color or flavor profile as excess moisture can halt essential nutrients which affect taste and too much oxidation can turn a green tea into an oolong or black tea. The leaves are first fed into a steaming machine that operates at between 100 and 130 degrees celsius to lock in the tea’s natural properties followed by a cooling process that slows the oxidation process. The plants follow this by going through three distinct rolling machines that carefully remove the surface moisture without damaging the plants. This is followed by a twist and curling machine that cold presses the leaves against a metal surface to draw out a deeper eternal moisture. Due to the fact that intense pressure breaks open plant cells, the green tea must be kept in a refrigerator to keep its freshness. Proceeding the pressing stage the leaves are shaped into balls. Not all of the tea ends up being shaped into needles but the tea that does is placed into a fire-heated shaping machine where a brush rolls the tea against a curved bottom wall that shapes the tea into its signature needles. The final step is drying the leaves in a fire-powered furnace, this step requires precise timing as it impacts the flavor profile. If the tea is dried longer it can develop a roasted flavor (which can be good depending on the batch) and if the tea is not dried long enough it risks molding. The Processing stage is defined by rigorous mechanical flow paired with strict artisanal oversight. The founder of the farm personally inspects every batch at this stage to ensure the quality of his product.
We followed up the tour of the processing factory by sampling a wide variety of teas. All tea no matter if it is black or green tea is actually derived from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis. The reason why tea has different colors actually comes down to oxidation, as green tea is non-oxidised, oolong tea is semi oxidised and Black tea is fully oxidised. Other elements of the tea like how sweet or bitter it is comes down to the brewing process, as the hotter the tea is brewed the more bitter it will be. The four methods of brewing are Hot (90-100 degrees celcius), Warm (60-70 degrees celsius), cold (5-10 degrees celsius) and ice (0 degrees celsius.) The time of harvest, and the cultivation type (whether the tea is covered or not) also play a role in how the tea’s flavor profile and notes develop. We sampled four teas, two green teas, a black tea and a macha. One thing that I noticed is that the notes on the first pour differed from that of the second pour with the black tea(Wakoucha) changing from having notes of berries to having notes of chestnut on the second pour.
The precision and care of the tea plants is how the Obubu tea farm is able to get the highest quality tea by treating tea growing, cultivation and brewing as an exact science. We saw this in the other commodities such as textiles and medicine and it is a greater reflection of how Japanese commodities value quality over mass production. One thing to note about all the international workers is how this is a reflection of the sad reality that many Japanese towns are facing: an aging population. The average age of Wazuka is 65 well past the typical working age and this can be seen as there are many abandoned and overgrown tea fields. It is amazing that this company has been able to establish an international network but it also is a necessity considering the aging demographic of the town.