Today the first trade session of first flush was performed in Shizuoka Tea Market. The market had a ceremony to celebrate this first flush season. Many related persons gathered in and observed crude teas brought to the market.

Buyers in Shizuoka city observe crude teas from table to table. Then they negotiate the one satisfying their demands with tea sellers or tea farmers.

Tea buyers observe and check the quality of each crude tea based on the appearance at first.

When buyers finde the one satisfying their demand, they negotiate the price with sellers or tea farmers. The wood apparatus the buyer use is a Japanese traditional calculator so-called “Soroban”.

When the deal gets done, buyers and sellers clap their hand. This traditional custom of handclap is called as “Teawase”. The phrase “Teawase” consist of “Te” and “Awase”, literally means “hand” and “agreement” in Japanese. Moreover I’d like to give the phrase an extra meaning, “Tea” + “Shiawase”, which means “Happiness” in Japanese.

In this day, Fujisan Fujinomiya Seicha Co. Ltd., purchase an excellent crude tea made in the highest value in history, 109 Man-Yen per kilogram, which equals 1,090 thousand yen per kilogram (“man” means “ten thousand” in Japanese)!! The crude tea was hand-processed by mastercraftsmen of JA-Fujinomiya using hand-picked tea shoot cultivated in Fujinomiya Tea Estate under the shade of Mt. Fuji. Fujisan Fujinomiya Seicha will refine the tea and dedicate to Mt. Fuji Hongu Sengen Shrine on Hachiju-Hachiya, 2nd May. The dedicated tea will be served visitors in the shirine from Hachiju-Hachiya.

As for the general crude tea, a specialty tea “Takane no Kaori” made in Ryogouchi tea estate has been evaluated as the highest value 88,800 yen per kilogram.

The mountainside slope forces tea farmers on the harder works for cultivation, and at the same time, enriches the flavor of tea shoots. As a French tea sommlier explained, Ryogochi tea estate is famous for traditional light steamed tea.

The specialty tea must be tin-shaped and have unique green aroma.

This specialty tea is annually bought by Wada Choji Shoten Co. Ltd., which has the sophisticated skill to refine crude teas by charcoal fire roast. The specialty tea will be refined to have duality of fresh fragrance and roasty mellow flavor.

Hopefully may the finest teas meet to you!