Sustainability
Sustainability at d:matcha
Our idea of sustainability is to understand the culture, history, nature, and people of Yubune in Wazuka, the heartland of Uji tea—and to run our business so that these essential values can continue into the future.
Nature
Climate, terrain, and a rich living ecosystem directly shape delicious tea. We therefore farm without chemical pesticides or herbicides and always design our work around natural cycles. We also maintain rice paddies—not only for landscape, but because paddies host biodiversity. Dragonflies emerge from larvae, tadpoles become frogs, and these predators keep leafhoppers and other pests in check. Our fertilization philosophy mirrors the natural mineral flow from mountains to rivers to sea, returning nutrients (e.g., fish meal) back to the soil.
Culture & History
Yubune has a very long history. Situated between ancient capitals such as Kyoto and Nara, tea cultivation has continued here for some 800 years. Forests supplied timber to temples and shrines, and many buildings in the hamlet carry deep history. Shirayama Shrine, adjacent to our fields, has stood for more than 800 years; its grounds are home to magnificent cedars over 500 years old. Traditional houses were built for farming and forestry life—earthen floors for entering in work clothes, tea factories connected to the house for immediate processing, and practical outdoor toilets. In the Edo period, Yubune was tenryō (directly administered by the Emperor). Known as one of the coldest areas in Wazuka with sharp temperature contrast, Yubune ranked highly in tea competitions until about sixty years ago.
People
Most residents have long been involved in tea or forestry—many are farms continuing for ten generations or more. As forestry declined and tea alone became difficult to sustain, many families sent children to the cities and successors diminished. Yubune’s population fell from ~1,000 (30 years ago) to about 200 in 2025, with more than half over 75 years old. d:matcha inherits fields from elderly farmers; they are happy to see ancestral land well cared for and the village gaining energy again. As of 2025, all d:matcha staff live in Yubune. We also prioritize local sourcing—chasen (tea whisks), matcha bowls, tins, and bags—so that industries connected to tea can keep circulating within the region.
Our Philosophy
With gratitude for culture, history, and nature, we work humbly yet tirelessly—refining our business, using our creativity, and supported by customers around the world—so that this way of life can continue. For us, sustainability means creating a state in which the heritage of Uji tea and the community of Yubune can keep thriving into the future.
