In 2013 I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to travel to Japan on a tea research tour, and become fully immersed in Japanese tea culture. We visited an eight-acre tea farm 'Sakura no En' in Minamata City, in Kumamoto prefecture, run by Matsumoto-san and his wife. All the tea is farmed organically with no pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer or manure, and their trees are around ninety years old. We were welcomed like old friends, and drank cups and cups of their delicious teas whilst sitting under the kotatsu, eating home-made cake and green tea curry. Matsumoto-san showed us round his factory, drove us high up into the mountains to view all of his tea fields, took us to a local bakery where his tea is served, then drove us back to the station, stopping on the way to buy us traditional hot cakes to eat.
- 1 min read
Sakura-no-En Tea Farm
An organic tea farm in Minamata City, Kumamoto
By Anonymous
Community writer
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Iain Stanley
9 years ago
What's green tea curry like??
Anonymous
Photographer
9 years ago
Extremely nice! I can definitely recommend it :)
Mandy Bartok
9 years ago
This looks like a wonderful experience! Does Matsumoto-san open his farm for tours to anyone or just special groups?
Erik Smith
9 years ago
Hi Mandy! I'm friends with another organic tea farmer in Minamata who takes in volunteers through WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). Currently, I am working with him to plan a special event in April or May for both Japanese and non-Japanese to work on the farm for a day and learn about the tea-making process, etc.
Mandy Bartok
9 years ago
Erik, I'd love to be kept up to date if that event comes through. I visited a farm in Shizuoka about 6 years ago and picked tea there but it was a very touristy experience and I'd love to learn more from an organic farmer. Can you post a comment on this thread with the dates, if possible?
Erik Smith
9 years ago
Of course!
Anonymous
Photographer
9 years ago
Hi Mandy, it was organised through Inside Japan , a tour company based in the UK. I'm sure if you contacted them they would be able to organise a similar visit.
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