Wrapping up 2021 by Daiki Tanaka
(By Daiki Tanaka, Founder of d:matcha Kyoto)
D:matcha Kyoto has successfully entered its sixth year since and I would like to express my gratitude, while updating you on some of our plans for the future.
As the appreciation for artfully crafted Japanese green tea grows, I aim to continue working hard towards highlighting the individuality of each tea cultivated variety (cultivar) grown in Wazuka Town. The uniqueness of each cultivar is at times lost in translation, but I am relentless in pursuit of conveying each distinct tea characteristic to everyone around the world.
To deepen this appreciation for Wazuka Town tea, my team and I have also worked to analyse our tea fields soil to obtain accurate information on soil and condition of the tea trees, among other information. We are also working hand-in-hand with other young farmers in the region to promote the tradition and art of tea farming.
Despite the current COVID-19 situation, we have also tried our best to provide safe and comfortable tea tours in both Japanese and English to those who have had the chance to visit us these last two years.
We are farmers with a mission of finding a way of creating a business within the agriculture sector that is both sustainable and assists with tackling the problem of Japan's aging population. This is also part of the reason we took on the challenge of rice farming this year, as personally I felt it was a waste to let the rice fields go abandoned.
By cultivating rice and tea without the use of pesticide, I hope to create a farming environment that appeals to people around the globe.
Aside from farming, I am also keen on taking on the challenge of renovating old houses in Wazuka Town to rejuvenate the landscape. When the situation with COVID-19 starts to settle, I would also like to take on more interns from different background to bring greater diversity to d:matcha Kyoto.
That being said, at the core of our company we hold the value of 三方良し or sanpouyoshi with the highest regard. While this Japanese phrase does not have a direct translation, the essence of its meaning is to provide a three-way satisfaction for everyone involved in the transaction process.
For d:matcha Kyoto the parallel equivalent would be: our customers (you), the producers (my staff and myself), and society at large. When you purchase our products, we want to ensure that your experience well-exceeds your expectations. From the point of learning more about each product, to the purchasing phase, and ultimately when you finally have the time to sit down and indulge in a d:matcha Kyoto cup of tea.
It goes without saying that as a business, the profit that we make from our sales motivates us to work even harder and passionately to invent new items. I would however, like to also emphasise that our pecuniary gains are continuously being used to invest in new sustainable methods of farming or improvement in Wazuka Town.
I want to d:matcha Kyoto to be sustainable as a business and in process do what I can to improve and bring impactful lasting benefits to the agriculture sector as a whole. This is the mindset that grounds d:matcha Kyoto's direction. I would really like to show the beauty of Wazuka-grown Japanese tea to the world.
Thank you again for your support and I hope that I will be able to meet you in person in Wazuka Town in the near future.
