Takarabako Tea Farm

• President: Kouichi Matsuura
• Location: 728-6 Ōbachō, Matsue-shi, Shimane-ken 690-0033. (Map below shows tea fields & factory)
• Established: 2003 (subsidiary of Matsuura Zouen KK (landscaping)
• Employees: 5
• Certifications:
  • Eco-farmer certified by Shimane Prefecture
  • Organic certification of JAS (Tea, Persimmon) for agriculture, processing and packing
  • Local GAP certification by Shimane Prefecture
  • Excellence Award for the 19th Japan Environment Preservation Agriculture Promotion Competition

View Tea Fields by Google Earth

Established in 2003 as a subsidiary of Matsuura Zoen KK, a local landscaping company whose dedication to a no-waste policy led them to develop an organic fertilizer product (compost) from the cuttings of their landscaping business. As a demonstration of the quality of their ferlizer, a division of the company began growing tea and fruits, becoming Takarabako Tea Farm.

Takarabako Tea Farm is located in the Oba Sorayama district in the southern part of Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture. The farmers conduct circulation type agriculture mainly based on tea and persimmon in addition to processing the crops and selling them directly to local consumers.

Today, Takarabako manages 7.4 hectares of tea plants, 3.0 hectares of persimmon, and another 2.0 hectares of other agricultural products such as blueberry, plum, perilla, etc. All agricultural products are cultivated with organic compost avoiding use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Tea and persimmon crops have been certified organic according to the Japan Agricultural Standard (JAS).