The  tea factory of Nakayama family has been in operations for 70 years in Higashi  Sonogi. Their tea fields cover about 600 ha. The Nakayama family is strongly  committed in favor of practicing an environment-friendly agriculture.

To  preserve their land and its soil, they use only organic fertilizers that  they prepare themselves.   To fight  against a failing domestic demand for green tea, the Nakayama family works  hard to  improve communication and  build partnerships with other tea farmers as well as actors in other  industries.

They organize regularly workshops about green tea and wish to  make their area better known overseas.

Nakayama san is also the Chairman of the Association and a founder of Higashi Sonogi’s Green Tea Tourism movement. He once played in a band and can often be found performing and singing at town events. Through this association it is possible to be hosted by local families and also get to try tea related activities. 

Nakayama san and his wife Setsuko are among the hosts and you can enjoy getting to know both of them should you be able to visit them. If you are interested in enjoying a homestay in this beautiful area, you can read more here.

The leaves of “Sonogi Tea” are kept whole and rolled to gather up each leaf. This process, which makes a type of tea called “Tamaryokucha (Steamed Rolled Tea)”, borrows from traditional tea roasting methods which came to Japan from China and Korea. This method reduces the bitterness of the tea leaves for a smoother finish. 

Young tea leaves prepared this way unfold slowly when steeped in a teapot, bringing out a sweetness, rich flavors and aromas that everyone enjoy. 

The blends prepared by Nakayama san contain a lot of amino acids. These levels are achieved by covering the new shoots of the tea trees, and using the sweet cultivar “Sae midori”.