Yakushima - the land of the great Sugi Trees

The first stop on our 2023 sourcing trip

After some time with friends, we took a flight from Kagoshima to the island of Yakushima. A UNESCO world heritage site famous for the ancient Yaku-sugi trees. The micro climate in Yakushima is unique humid sub tropical climate. Yakushima is famous as the wettest place in Japan - averaging about 10 inches of rain a month. A famous phrase (written in the book Floating Cloud by Fumiko Hayashi). is that “it rains 35 days a month” in Yakushima.

Tea production in Yakushima is still relatively young - the major producer started about 40 years ago. Today, it is a growing part of the Yakushima economy with more than 5 farms now producing tea. Comparative to mainland Japan - and of course Kagoshima proper, in which Yakushima belongs to - production is minimal.

The unique warm climate and intense rains make tea production uniquely challenging. While things like frost and insects are less of a threat, early or prolonged warmth and intense rain make the selection of cultivars specifically important. While the standard cultivars found in Kagoshima like Yabukita. Saemidori and Yutaka Midori are grown here, many unique selections like the early budding Kuritawase are what excites us most.

We set out today to meet with a small family producer on the east side of the island. Of course, the day started with rain which meant harvesting was postponed for the day - but we were lucky enough to meet and taste the new 2023 harvest with the son and current lead of tea production. The teas on the island are fast growing - due to the mild weather - but the unique soil and rain micro climate imbue the teas with a character that is unique. Comparing them to Chiran just a short trip north in Kagoshima Yakushima teas have a certain fragrance and tannic structure that surprised us - lively, focused, and beautifully reflective of the place.

Small scale production is challenging and can be overwhelming the maker sometimes leading to gaps in quality. But what impressed us most today was a sense of focus and point of view. Rather than trying to make tea that simply pleases the populace, these teas truly reflect a place. Each tea was gentle, sophisticated and transmitted the character of the cultivar.

We are looking forward to sharing some of these teas with you in 2023. Keep an eye out for a few things landing next month.

Thanks for reading. Much more to come…

Zach