Carrying Yubune’s Tea Fields Forward
Picture: Mr. Tomotsugu Konishi (88 years old) and Mrs. Konishi
Across rural Japan, many farming communities are facing a common challenge. As the population ages and younger generations move to cities or choose different career paths, increasing amounts of ancestral farmland are left without successors. Villages that once supported themselves through agriculture now struggle to maintain both their landscapes and their communities.
Yubune is no exception.
Located in a quiet valley surrounded by mountains, Yubune has long been shaped by farming and close community ties. For generations, families here have cared for the land as a shared responsibility rather than personal property. However, as times change, even deeply rooted traditions must adapt.
We met the Konishi family and listened to their story of making difficult decision to entrust her family’s land to new caretakers.
Picture: An interview with Mr. and Mrs. Konishi
They had spent their lives tending the land. Over time, however, age made it difficult to continue farming at the same scale. Rather than allowing the fields to fall into neglect, they chose to entrust them to new caretakers who would commit to preserving both the land and its surrounding environment.
For them, continuity mattered more than lineage. What was important was that the fields would continue to be cultivated responsibly: waterways maintained, overgrowth managed, and tea plants cared for in rhythm with the seasons.
Reflecting on his birthplace, Mr. Konishi describes Yubune as a place where nature’s blessings and community bonds remain strong. In earlier times, few young people went on to higher education, as most focused on farming, homemaking, or forestry work. The mountains owned by the local “zaisanku” (community forest association) were especially rich in natural resources. The area’s high-quality timber was once used by sake brewers in Fushimi to make wooden barrels, a sign of how prized Yubune’s forests once were. He feels that this harmony of fertile mountains, clear water, and self-sufficient life defines Yubune’s true character.
The Konishi family’s tea fields have been cultivated since the Meiji era, with some plots tracing their origins even further back to the Edo period. Over time, these fields have been carefully renewed through successive replanting cycles, preserving both tradition and productivity.
The family grows a range of cultivars, including Gokou replanted about 40 years ago in the Seikichi field, Yabukita in both the Ninose field (approximately 40 years old) and the main field (around 30 years old), Okumidori replanted 15 years ago, and Ujihikari, which was converted from a bamboo grove around 1955. Several older fields, such as those near Kannenji Temple, predate the Edo period, reflecting the deep agricultural history of the area. Many of these fields were originally planted with zairai (native varieties) that had been cultivated continuously for generations before being gradually replaced with new cultivars, illustrating the careful balance between heritage and renewal that defines tea farming in Yubune.
Our decision to relocate from Tokyo to the countryside reflected a shared commitment to this responsibility. Farming in Yubune is inseparable from community life, and sustainable land management requires understanding local customs, participating in collective responsibilities, and building long-term trust.
Q. Was it a difficult decision to entrust your ancestral land to d:matcha?
A. It was not a painful decision, but a realistic and responsible one. We believe this is far better than letting the land fall into neglect. Yubune is a place blessed with fertile mountains, clear water, and strong bonds among people, and we hope these will be carefully protected and carried forward.
Their response was one of reassurance and relief. Knowing the land would remain active—and the landscape they had known for decades would be preserved—affirmed that their decision was the right one.
This experience reflects our broader approach to sustainability. For us, caring for the land means more than maintaining productivity; it means supporting rural livelihoods, respecting local knowledge, and ensuring that agricultural landscapes remain living parts of their communities.
Q. What are your hopes for the future of d:matcha and Yubune?
A. We want to see more people living in Yubune again. We never want it to become an empty village. By creating jobs and continuing to build an environment where younger generations and families can live, we sincerely hope that d:matcha will help Yubune remain lively and be passed on to the next generation.
Picture: Mr. and Mrs. Konishi with Daiki (Founder d:matcha Kyoto)
By choosing to work alongside the land and the people of Yubune, we aim to contribute to a future where rural regions continue to thrive, not as relics of the past, but as sustainable, inhabited environments.
This commitment guides our work today and into the future.
