Tea Picking

The description of the tea garden

・Tea leaves that you will pick are used for high-class Matcha (powdered green tea) of Nishio.
・We grow tea leaves by natural shape bush formation in this tea garden.
　Therefore, the leaves can be harvested only once a year.
・The variety of the tea is “Samidori.” It is very suitable as the ingredient of Matcha.
・In order for the tea leaves to increase Umami (savory or the fifth basic taste) flavor with little tannin, the bushes of tea are covered with black cloth.

Preparation before entering the tea garden

・Please wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty.
　 (Since the tea garden is a field, there are various factors that your clothes may get dirty.)
・Before you touch the tea leaves, please wash your hands thoroughly.

How to enter the tea garden

・Please do not run. There is no rush to enter.
・Please stand in line side by side. However, you need to make enough space to avoid bumping into the shoulder of the person next to you.

How to pick tea leaves

①Start picking from the bottom of the bush.

②Only pick new leaves coming out this spring. (Brilliant green and soft)
・Do not pick old leaves.(Dark green and hard) ※image1

③Please use your non-dominant hand to hold the bottom of branch and bring it close to your body.

④Please use your dominant hand’s thumb and forefinger to hold the stem of new leaves and pull gently.
（It is called Shigoki-tsumi.)※image2

⑤Put the picked new leaves into the bag.
(Do not push them in forcefully. It can damage the leaves.)

After the tea picking

・Close the bag filled with the leaves. So that leaves do not fall off.
・Do not put something heavy on the bag.