Keeping Yubune Alive: A Story of Land, Time, and Trust
In Yubune, a small farming village surrounded by forests and quiet valleys, the soil is rich and the air is clear. For generations, families lived in balance with the land—growing rice, vegetables, and tea, helping one another through the busy seasons, and passing fields from parent to child as naturally as time itself.
But times have changed.
As Japan’s countryside continues to age and younger generations leave for cities or choose different careers, many ancestral farms are left without successors. Fields that once shaped the landscape risk being abandoned, slowly swallowed by weeds and silence.
This is the story of one of those fields and the people who refused to let it disappear.
Picture: Mrs. Sugimoto (88 years old)
Mr. Kazutoshi Sugimoto, husband of the grandmother who entrusted us with her land, is the 8th generation head of his family. Three generations ago, the Sugimoto family began stepping back from farming, eventually settling on land that is now part of d:matcha. Their mountains and forestry lands were sold, while tea cultivation quietly continued in Yubune. As early as 1953, the Samidori cultivar was already growing here, rooted in the valley’s unique microclimate.
From his parents and grandparents, Mr. Sugimoto learned a way of life centered on self-sufficiency—balancing rice, vegetables, and tea, and living with respect for nature. As the eldest son of a farming household, he was taught that protecting the land, maintaining community ties, and leading with responsibility were not choices, but duties.
Yubune shaped him. The valley’s pure air, surrounding forests, and slow rhythm of life create an environment where tea grows gently and people live closely with nature. His family’s tea fields date back to the Meiji era, planted and replanted over generations with cultivars like Samidori (15-20 years), Gokou (15-20 years), Yabukita (40 years), Okumidori (30 years), and native zairai varieties. Some leaves were even once sent to Ujitawara for processing, proof of the fields’ long connection to Japan’s tea history.
Yet time is unforgiving.
As age and physical limits made it harder to continue farming, the question of the future became unavoidable. Passing ancestral land to outsiders was not easy—but it was honest. Mr. Sugimoto recalls mixed emotions, followed by relief and gratitude. What mattered most was not who owned the land, but whether it would be cared for.
Picture: Daiki Tanaka (Founder d:matcha Kyoto) interviewed Mrs. Sugimoto
Q. Was it a difficult decision to entrust your family’s land to people from outside?
A. At first, I had mixed feelings, but ultimately I felt relief and gratitude. I was happy that people from outside Yubune showed genuine interest in this land, and considering my age and physical limits, it felt like a natural decision.
When people from outside Yubune—people who came, listened, and showed genuine respect—expressed a desire to look after the fields, he felt reassured. Even foreigners, he said, were welcome to visit, as long as they truly cared. It was easier to entrust the land to those he could meet, speak with, and trust face to face.
A few years ago, that trust was placed in us.
We left Tokyo and moved to the countryside, choosing a slower life so these fields would not be abandoned. Along with the land came responsibility: to respect local customs, to participate in community rituals, to understand that farming here is not just work, but a shared culture built over centuries.
Q. What are your thoughts on d:matcha?
A. I hope d:matcha will continue to look after Yubune’s landscape and natural environment. If tea fields are left uncared for, they quickly become overgrown and alter the scenery. My sincere wish is for d:matcha to preserve the beauty of the tea fields and pass Yubune’s environment on to future generations.
Mrs. Sugimoto’s wish for d:matcha is simple and deeply human that the tea fields continue to be cared for, that the landscape remains alive, and that Yubune’s environment is preserved for future generations. When fields are left untended, he says, the entire scenery changes. But when they are cared for, they continue to breathe.
Picture: Daiki Tanaka (Founder d:matcha Kyoto) with Mrs. Sugimoto after the interview
This is more than a story about tea.
Inheritance beyond bloodlines, trust that transcends generations, and the things that truly matter are often found among what people are beginning to forget. In a time when many rural lands are forgotten, we are honored to look after what others lovingly built, and to ensure that Yubune’s fields continue to grow, quietly and beautifully, just as they always have.
