Onocha Tea

100 HECTARE OF TEA FIELDS, THE LARGEST SINGLE AREA IN WESTERN JAPAN

In the District of Ono on the southern tip of Honshu, Japan’s main island, a carpet of green tea fields unveils itself from the dense fog of the region’s winter. The climate of the region helps Ono produce sencha green tea with full-bodied astringency balanced with just enough sweetness.

THE AROMA, BITTERNESS, ASTRINGENCY, AND SWEETNESS BORN FROM THE DRY SOIL OF THE ONO REGION

Unlike other tea production regions, the soil of Ono is a mix of granite and red clay, and would be considered infertile land to most farmers. This leads to a natural bitterness and full-bodied astringency, tinged with sweetness in the leaf creating a tea with a remarkable depth of flavor.

THE RICH FLAVORS OF ONOCHA, TEA PRODUCED IN THE ONO REGION OF YAMAGUCHI

The criteria for judging Japanese tea quality is aroma, taste, and color, and it is actually difficult for one reason to do well in all three areas. Onocha’s selling point is its strong flavor and excellent aroma.

• Name: Onocha Tea 小野茶 (Company Name: Yamaguchi Chagyo KK)
• Location: 152-13 Ichiibara, Ube-shi, Yamaguchi 754-1314 JAPAN
• Established: 1975
• Farm size: 2.5 ha - Onocha processes and sells tea leaves from both its own tea fields as well as the aggregate of tea fields owned and cultivated by the farmers of the region. Altogether, this amounts to approximated 100 hectares.
• Annual Production: 3000 kg (Total production from the factory is 163 tons (aracha).)
• Farms in Ono District: 25 commercial farmers
• Factory Type: Aracha factory, finishing factory, pan-fired tea factory (kamairicha)