Despite the wonderful appeal of the Kikukawa's new crop, tea farmers are in a difficult situation because the number of tea drinkers using a teapot has decreased due to recent lifestyle changes, and the demand for high-quality the new crop, which accounts for 70% of tea farmers' income, has disappeared.

INTERVIEW Vol. 03  -  KYOKU
​1/27/2024

---

"Summer is approaching, 88 nights, young leaves are growing in the fields and mountains..." This is an old song may all Japanese are familiar with, describing the time of year when tea is picked.

The season is May, just before summer. The tea shoots that have grown in the warm spring sun are spread out like a carpet of green. The tender young shoots, carefully picked to prevent damage, are not plentiful, but the best are harvested, and are known to the Japanese as “Ichibancha”, or “New tea（first crop）”.

KYOKU uses the new crop tea from tea fields in Kikugawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, which overlooks Japan's highest mountain, Mt. Fuji. The area has long been known as one of the leading tea growing areas in Japan, thanks to its mild climate and abundant water from one of the highest mountains in Japan.

Kikugawa tea leaves are characterized by their thick leaf flesh. “Ryokucha” green teas are made by steeping instead of fermentation. Steeping locks in its unique flavor and nutrients, but thanks to its thickness, it can be deeply steeped for more than twice as long as regular green tea leaves, resulting in a mellower flavor with less astringency.

KYOKU's tea design masters further adjust the roasting method and time for each part of the tea leaves, stems, and powdery parts, and finally blend them to perfection before packing them into tea bags by hand.

The amount of tea leaves in a tea bag is more than three times larger than that of a regular tea bag, so that you can enjoy the full flavor of the tea. When water is poured over the tea, the tea leaves dissolve and a dark green cloudy color appears, reminiscent of the healing effects of a deep forest. In fact, this cloudiness is also an essential element for the elegant taste and rich aroma unique to Kikukawa's deep steamed tea.

Despite the wonderful appeal of the Kikukawa's new crop, local tea farmers are in a difficult situation because the number of tea drinkers using a teapot has decreased due to recent lifestyle changes, and the demand for high-quality the new crop, which accounts for 70% of tea farmers' income, has disappeared.

Natsuko, CEO of KYOKU, is originally a buyer of tea ingredients for a major beverage company, and in her deep involvement with various tea farmers, she heard many sad voices from them that they did not want their children to take over the tea farming business because it was too hard to make a living from the tea business. She wanted to help them somehow and started KYOKU in the U.S. to increase the demand for first-grade Ryokucha tea of Japan.

Interview with Natsuko CEO

The product concept of KYOKU’s tea is you can be felt experience forest bathing wherever you are. Pop a tea bag into a container of your choice, pour in cold or room temperature water, and let to leave for two hours or shake it 20 times.
The tea leaves exude nutrients and flavor from the tea leaves. It soothes your eyes with its beautiful dark green color, your sense of smell with their rich aroma. Then the mild taste gently flows down your throat. The carefully grown tea leaves at the foot of Mt. Fuji in faraway Japan, bring the soothing power of nature.
Unbleached tea bags made from corn fiber can be composted when finished. They will return to nature.


“We often forget that we are nature.”
–ANDY GOLDSWORTHY

Now, we would like to introduce the KYOKU products exhibited and sold
at Brooklyn Beauty Fashion Lab.

SHOP NOW

Kyoku Tea Starter Kit

Kyoku Tea 5TB BOX