Shohokuen has been making tea at Kohata in Uji since 1645, and was chosen for the imperial table in 1915.

Land in Uji is limited, so there is no point in producing volume. Everything is aimed at the crop instead: the right cultivars on well-drained soil, the balance of nutrients and moisture watched daily, and no overharvesting, which exhausts a plant.

The rest is people. Knowing when to pick, how long to steam, at what temperature to fire and which cultivars to blend in what ratio takes years to learn. Shohokuen works with contracted farmers they have known for generations, which gives them supply they can rely on and a two-way exchange of knowledge.

The whole chain is controlled under GAP, ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000, and their organic tea is JAS and EU certified.