About us
Our Story
I am a tea farmer in southern Kyoto, growing and crafting tea without relying on pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
I was not born into a traditional tea-farming family. In my twenties, I travelled to many countries through work and volunteer activities, meeting people from diverse cultures and communities. Along the way, I gradually found myself drawn to tea and agriculture. Eventually, I returned to my home prefecture of Kyoto and began my own journey as a tea farmer from the ground up.
Through my travels, I came to realize that tea has the power to bring people together. I was also deeply inspired by agriculture—a meaningful way of life that supports people and communities across the world. With the hope of creating a world where tea and agriculture connect people and bring moments of richness and joy into their lives, I chose the path of a tea farmer and began growing tea.
Today, I devote myself to growing and crafting tea in a small tea field in southern Kyoto, working closely with nature each day.
Experiences Around the World
In my twenties, I was fortunate to have opportunities to live in a variety of countries and communities. As a student, I studied English in Canada and later travelled to the Philippines several times to take part in the work of an NPO supporting children in underprivileged communities.
I then spent two years in Paraguay, South America, working in education, followed by nearly a year in Germany. For eight months of that time, I worked with an international organisation supporting children from Africa and the Middle East.
The world is home to a remarkable diversity of cultures, values, and ways of life. Yet it is through simple, everyday moments—conversations, shared meals, and daily routines—that relationships between people naturally grow. Wherever I went, I found that what brings people together is not necessarily an extraordinary event, but everyday life itself.
These experiences naturally led me to reflect on the value of tea and agriculture, both of which quietly accompany and enrich our daily lives.
Discovering Tea
I was born and raised in Uji, Kyoto, a city renowned for its tea.
I have loved tea since I was a child—so much so that my father nicknamed me “Cha-bō,” meaning “tea boy.”
To me, tea is not something reserved only for special occasions. Wherever you go in the world, it is a familiar presence woven into people’s everyday lives.
In Paraguay, there is a tradition called tereré, in which family and friends pass around a single cup of mate tea while enjoying conversation together. Although it is less formal than the Japanese tea ceremony, the two share something essential: people gathering around tea and sharing time with one another.
In Germany and Australia, I also had many opportunities to prepare matcha for the people I met and enjoy tea together. Even when we spoke different languages and came from different cultures, gathering around a bowl of tea helped everyone relax. Conversation began to flow naturally, and smiles followed.
After returning to Japan, I had the opportunity to work for about a year at a long-established tea company in my hometown of Uji, where I began studying tea in earnest. There, I discovered that even the familiar tea I had enjoyed every day could offer entirely different flavours and traditions depending on its cultivar, production method, and place of origin. I became fascinated by its remarkable depth.
I want to craft delicious tea with care—tea that naturally inspires conversation and brings smiles to those who share it.
I hope to create more of these moments around the world.
This is the idea at the heart of tea-making at Kyoto Tea Farm Ken.
Discovering Agriculture
As I travelled through different countries, I noticed one form of work that supported people’s lives wherever I went.
That was agriculture.
After becoming interested in farming, I returned to Japan and studied at an agricultural school for six months. It was there that I first encountered organic farming.
Wanting to deepen my understanding, I travelled to Australia, a country with a well-established organic farming culture. Over the course of eight months, I lived and worked on nine different organic farms, helping with their daily farm work.
There, I shared meals, work, and everyday life not only with the farmers, but also with volunteers from around the world.
Although we came from different cultures and held different values, I learned a great deal from the way people respected nature and valued their connections with one another.
Today, I carry the ideas I learned in Australia with me as I grow and craft tea in Kyoto without relying on pesticides or chemical fertilisers.
Just as farming gave me the opportunity to meet people from around the world, I hope to create a place where tea and agriculture bring people together.
I continue to welcome volunteers from Japan and overseas to the tea farm, cherishing the time we spend working, learning, and sharing meals together.
The time I shared with people around the world is where my journey in tea began.
These are the kinds of moments I hope to share through tea.
Gathering around a cup of tea can create precious time with someone you care about, begin a new friendship, or bring smiles and conversation between people meeting again after a long time.
From our small tea fields in Kyoto, I hope to share moments like these with you—and with people around the world.