February 2025 Newsletter

Visit to a Business Partner in Switzerland (Daiki T.)

At the end of winter, I spent about a week on a business trip to Switzerland. The primary reason for this trip was to visit our long-term corporate clients in Switzerland, observe their store operations, and discuss long-term business plans for the future. Additionally, Switzerland has the second-highest number of customers participating in our tea farm tours and private accommodations, following the United States. To better understand our Swiss customers, I wanted to see the country with my own eyes.

Starting in Zurich, where the main airport is located, I traveled by train through southern Switzerland, focusing on Zermatt, a popular tourist destination in the Alps. One of the first things that struck me was the highly developed and incredibly punctual train system. I had always wondered why Swiss customers insist on using public transportation so thoroughly, but after experiencing the efficiency of their infrastructure, I realized it is simply an extension of their everyday life. Skiing is extremely popular among all age groups, and it was fascinating to see so many people enjoying winter sports. The strong awareness of environmental sustainability was also evident—plastic products were rarely seen, Zermatt has banned gasoline-powered vehicles, and 60% of the country's electricity comes from hydropower. The commitment to further promoting clean energy was truly impressive.

Another aspect that amazed me was the high cost of living—about three times that of Japan. While Japan's affordability is a factor, I noticed that Swiss businesses operate with minimal staffing, and employees are highly skilled multitaskers. Efficiency is deeply ingrained in society, from transportation payment systems to customer service in restaurants. For example, train tickets are checked thoroughly on expensive routes, while no checks exist for cheaper local transit systems. In restaurants, a single staff member handles multiple customers with exceptional efficiency. I also observed a strong emphasis on supporting local businesses and building Swiss brand identity across various industries.

Reflecting on this experience, I realized the importance of constantly questioning whether certain business practices are truly necessary and focusing on long-term, essential values.

During my visit to our Swiss clients, I was delighted to see how far they had come, evolving from event-based sales to full-fledged store operations. Their flagship store, which has been open for several years now, has built a strong customer base. They place significant emphasis on brand identity, carefully curating matcha flavors and milk choices to suit the preferences of their local customers. This is a perfect example of how producers and retailers can collaborate to create value. While we can provide insights into tea characteristics and production methods and focus on natural, high-quality cultivation, we cannot fully understand the detailed preferences of each market.

This trip reaffirmed my commitment to continuing our tourism initiatives to interact directly with customers and gather insights while also collaborating closely with our business partners to tailor our offerings to each market.

Now, I am already looking forward to visiting business partners in other countries!

The 6th Session: Japanese Tea and Caffeine (Misato T.)

Tea plants contain caffeine. While excessive caffeine consumption is not ideal, caffeine offers various benefits, such as stimulating wakefulness (reducing fatigue and drowsiness), strengthening the heart, enhancing endurance, preventing hangovers, acting as a diuretic, and aiding in fatigue recovery. These benefits have contributed to tea's long-standing popularity as a favored beverage.

Caffeine Content in Different Types of Tea Around the World

Not only Japanese tea but also black tea and oolong tea contain caffeine.

Depending on the reference, when comparing the extracted liquid, coffee and matcha contain similar amounts of caffeine. Gyokuro has more caffeine than matcha or coffee, but since gyokuro is not typically consumed in large quantities, the caffeine content per cup is not excessively high.

Caffeine Content in Different Japanese Teas

Japanese teas like gyokuro and matcha contain higher levels of caffeine because they are cultivated using a shading method. In particular, gyokuro is harvested from the uppermost young leaves, resulting in a high caffeine content.

For hojicha, the caffeine content varies depending on the type of tea leaves used as raw materials. Generally, hojicha is made from leaves and stems that are harvested after the initial cutting, which results in lower caffeine content. However, if high-grade sencha leaves (from the first harvest) are roasted, the caffeine content will be higher.

Leaf Position and Component Content

The higher the leaf position, the higher the amino acid and caffeine content —

Japanese tea harvesting typically involves picking the upper leaves, known as "isshin niyo" (one bud, two leaves), as they have higher amino acid content and stronger umami flavor. The table below shows the component content by leaf position, indicating that upper leaves contain more amino acids, catechins, and caffeine.

Conversely, stems have lower caffeine content but a higher amount of free reducing sugars, making kukicha (twig tea) a mildly sweet tea with low caffeine levels.

Component Content by Leaf Position (First Flush Tea, per 100g of Dry Tea)

Shaded Tea Cultivation Results in Higher Caffeine Content

When tea is cultivated using shading techniques, the caffeine content is retained, leading to higher caffeine levels than open-field cultivation.

About the Field: Timing of Fertilizer Application (Hiroki A.)

Fertilization management is a crucial factor in producing high-quality tea. While fertilization management essentially involves applying fertilizer, the key lies in determining what type of fertilizer to use, when to apply it, and in what quantity. This is because these factors influence the total amount of nutrients that the plants can absorb.

There are three fundamental principles of fertilization management: applying the necessary nutrients, at the necessary time, and in the necessary amount. These principles apply to many crops, and failing to adhere to them can negatively impact the harvest. For example, in tomato cultivation, excessive fertilization can lead to the spread of diseases or hinder fruit development. However, the tea industry is somewhat unique in that the amount of fertilizer applied (particularly nitrogen) has a directly positive correlation with tea quality. Simply put, the more fertilizer is applied, the higher the quality of the tea produced. Of course, excessive fertilization beyond a reasonable limit can be harmful, but within practical bounds, many tea farmers believe that increased fertilization leads to better-tasting tea.

Since tea quality directly affects its market price, fertilization in tea cultivation is often viewed not just as a management practice but as an investment. This shift in perspective has driven the need for more efficient and rational fertilization planning. In summary, producing high-quality tea requires a sufficient supply of nutrients, and fertilization plans must be designed to maximize this supply.

For effective fertilization of tea plants, split applications and proper timing are essential. Split application refers to dividing fertilizer applications into multiple rounds to minimize nutrient loss. Fertilization is mainly carried out during periods outside of the harvest season, typically from summer to autumn and in early spring. This timing not only avoids the busy harvest period but also ensures that the tea plants can absorb nutrients more efficiently. Since tea plant roots become less active in colder temperatures, it is preferable to apply fertilizer during relatively warm periods. Research has shown that the fertilization conducted in early spring has the greatest impact on the quality of the first flush tea. Therefore, tea fertilization management involves multiple split applications, with a particular emphasis on early spring when root activity is at its peak.

Our tea plantation follows this fertilization management approach, but recently, we have been considering increasing the proportion of fertilization applied in early spring to further improve efficiency and quality.

A Journey Through Japan’s Tea Regions (S. Mahdaria)

After almost two years immersed in Uji tea, especially matcha, it’s time to explore more tea production sites in Japan. Since we have a week-long break this month, I traveled to Nishio in Aichi Prefecture and Yame in FukuokaPrefecture. 

Nishio is famous as one of the largest producers of matcha.In November, the d:matcha team visited Nishio to explore various tea houses and a pottery site, where I discovered the most umami-rich Koicha I have ever tried. I decided to return to visit the farm and the same tea house to have a deeper conversation with the owner. Before that, I spent a full day in Yame to explore Yame matcha, as I had heard it was renowned for its delicious Gyokuro.

In Yame, I visited about four tea producers and noticed a common characteristic that connected each tea house: "Hika" (火香) in Japanese, which refers to a fire aroma. In other parts of the world, such as Southeast Asia—particularly Indonesia and Thailand—this "Hika" is recognized as nutty notes in tea.

Some Japanese books I studied classify the taste of tea based on levels of umami, sweetness, astringency, and bitterness. Umami is often associated with seaweed, while astringency is linked to grassy or vegetal notes. Meanwhile, in Indonesia and Thailand, additional flavor descriptors are used to make matcha’s tasting notes more relatable. For example, strong umami flavors in matcha can be described as having a cream cheese-like note, while "Hika" is often perceived as nutty. This is fascinating!

Return to the Abeno Harukas Event (Seiya H.)

For the Valentine’s season this year, I made plenty of chocolates once again and returned to the Abeno Harukas event for a tasting and sales event, just like last year! (The tasting items were fondant chocolate and 12% matcha chocolate.)

One big difference from last year was that customers who had visited before came back and even remembered me!

Last year, when I was doing the tasting sales, I asked customers who bought the 9-piece assortment of 24% matcha chocolates to let me know which matcha they liked best. Each piece in this assortment was made from a different variety of matcha, all with the same 24% concentration (equivalent to one serving of whisked matcha). This allowed for a true tasting experience—eating matcha rather than just drinking it.

Now, after a year, customers shared their favorites with me! In the end, the most popular varieties were Ujihikari and Gokou.

Last year, I was focused on simply handing out chocolates and getting used to the event atmosphere. But this time, I used that experience to stay calm and ensure that customers found the products they were looking for while distributing chocolates smoothly.

Some customers mentioned that while they weren’t fond of matcha themselves, they wanted to buy chocolates for someone who loved matcha but weren’t sure how intense they liked it. Others requested matcha sweets that weren’t too sweet.

Personally, I started loving matcha after getting into matcha-based sweets. I hope that, just like me, more people—especially young children—will come to appreciate matcha through desserts.

Since chocolates are always the most popular items during this season, I highly recommend trying our matcha chocolates with different concentrations, especially if you’re just starting to explore the world of matcha!