Uji City in the southern part of Kyoto Prefecture is located at the lowest point of the Kyoto Basin, and because of the large temperature difference, good soil quality, and moderate precipitation, high-quality tea has been produced there since ancient times. Tea cultivation spread throughout Kyoto Prefecture, and varieties suitable for tea cultivation were also created.
Tea harvesting involves picking the newly sprouted buds at a size suitable for tea making. The traditional "hand-picking" method is still used today. Many tea producers also use "scissor-picking," a powered method of tea picking. In order to make this important tea picking possible, various tasks are carried out in the tea plantations all year round to make delicious tea.
The three most representative types of Uji tea are Uji Matcha, Uji Sencha, and Uji Gyokuro. As civilization has developed, the heat sources have changed from charcoal fire to gas, oil, and electricity, and the tea-making methods have also changed from manual to mechanical. However, the traditional method of producing high-quality tea has not changed.
The tea produced by tea producers is purchased by tea merchants. Tea merchants determine the quality and characteristics of the tea and set a price to purchase it in order to create the tea that consumers want. Transactions are made at tea markets or directly between tea producers and tea merchants. There is also active buying and selling between tea merchants.
Tea, together with seaweed and other foods, has long been known as a dried food. As it is a dry product with a low moisture content, it can be stored for a long time, but tea's quality deteriorates if stored in high temperatures. Furthermore, tea's color and quality will deteriorate if exposed to sunlight. Also, because it is dry, it absorbs moisture easily, and in humid places, its quality will deteriorate rapidly, so it should be stored in a refrigerator, sealed as much as possible. As tea is thus delicate, the way it is stored is important to keep it delicious.
Most of the tea you drink today has been finished. This process is very important, and it is a technique that can accommodate a wide range of consumers by adjusting the price as well as the taste and aroma to suit their preferences. Finishing techniques require the ability to grasp the characteristics of tea, and have been cultivated since ancient times by tea merchants with expert judgement. Tea merchants with expert judgement are essential to steadily provide good quality tea at a fair price.
Traditionally, tea has been produced in the first two to three months of spring, but tea is not produced for more than six months, from summer to the beginning of the following spring. In Japan, where the climate is hot and humid, the containers used to preserve tea have been extremely important since ancient times to maintain quality. In order to deliver delicious Uji tea to everyone, various ideas have been devised for storage containers, which have changed over the years.
Not only the production methods of tea, but also the sales methods have changed over the years. However, one thing that has remained the same since ancient times is the desire to increase customer satisfaction. Different customers have different expectations for satisfaction, but the tea industry responds to their "preferred taste and aroma," "quantity of tea they want," "price they want to buy," and "speed of delivery."