Iwakura-san - Traditional tea cultivation in Shizuoka
Iwakura-san produces for us the aromatic & sweet Kabusecha without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Together with his son, he has been running his tea farm in Shimada, Shizuoka for 49 years - for 29 years using the traditional & pesticide-free Chagusaba method (茶草場).
Naturally growing grass fields surround the tea fields in Shimada, Shizuoka.
Chagusaba is a traditional tea growing method from Shizuoka. The tea fields are surrounded by partially natural grass fields consisting mainly of dwarf bamboo and silver grass. In the fall, these grasses are then cut, dried and brought to the tea fields as a mixture. The soil climate is improved, moisture is better retained and the natural fertilizer is regulated. A particularly desirable side effect: the tea becomes more aromatic and sweet.
Iwakura-san green tea is a Kabusecha (かぶせ茶), also called penumbra tea. The tea is shaded with nets up to 21 days before harvest. The nets intercept about 50% of the sunlight. This makes the tea less tart, more aromatic & full-bodied.
We get the Kabusecha directly from Mr. Iwakura as unsorted tea. This kind of tea is also called Aracha (荒茶). Iwakura-san directly aims to process the entire tea leaf during cultivation and harvesting. Since smaller stems and some broken leaf also make it into the tea, it is able to bring the full flavor of the tea into the infusion. If conventionally grown tea were sold as aracha, this tea would taste tart. Only with a lot of experience can a tea grower avoid this with an aracha and create a very special taste.
Anything but ordinary: a green tea shaded with nets, where the whole leaf is processed and fertilized with tea grass, among other things. And all this 100% without pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
Iwakura-san has fully achieved this balance with our Kabusecha: An intensely aromatic green tea with a deep umami, full-bodied sweetness and no bitter notes at all. You can buy it directly here in our tea store.
Iwakura-san's teas are hand-picked by hardworking helpers.
Iwakura-san also has its own tea store - with green tea soft serve ice cream in the summer, of course.