Since tea cultivation began around 800 years ago in what’s now Shizuoka Prefecture, it has been renowned as Japan’s largest tea-producing region. But decreasing demand for nihoncha, or Japanese tea, has raised worrying signs for the future.

Delicate: Hakuyōcha, or shaded white-leaf tea, is grown under canopies to shield plants from the sun, thus concentrating the umami essence in the leaves. |
Delicate: Hakuyōcha, or shaded white-leaf tea, is grown under canopies to shield plants from the sun, thus concentrating the umami essence in the leaves.

“Tea sales have dropped sharply and prices remain low — poor prospects discouraging young growers from entering the business. It’s a vicious circle,” says Hiroyasu Nishizawa, president and representative director of Shizuoka-based Benefitea.