Origin Story

Growing up in Shizuoka, one of the largest tea producing regions in Japan,
I drank green tea like water. At every meal and in between meals my parents
brewed loose green tea in a porcelain pot. When we ran out of tea we would 
take a walk to the nearby farmer’s house to buy a package of sencha.
Drinking tea was our family’s way of coming together at a table and sharing
stories of the day.

One of my earliest childhood memories is running through the tea bushes
at the foot of a small mountain behind my house. I can still recall how the bristly 
tea bush scratched my legs as I ran through the hills.

In the middle of high school years, I made my way to the United States,
first landing in a small town in Alabama, then to Southern California 
followed by New York City with a stint in Philadelphia and Barcelona, Spain.

There was a long period of time when I didn’t brew tea on a regular basis 
because authentic green tea was not readily available. I began purchasing 
my family’s favorite sencha and had them shipped directly from Japan. 
My friends and colleagues in New York City grew fond of this local brew and soon wanted to have some of their own. That’s how an idea for a little tea store began. 

In December of 2020, life brought me back to Shizuoka. 

Moving to Japan has opened so many doors. I live among the tea fields in the mountains, where I've had the opportunity to meet tea growers and processors, and visit their tea fields and factories.

All of my tea is directly sourced from local growers in Shizuoka. I know them personally, and we wave to each other when we pass on the road. I'm the sole intermediary between you and the growers.

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea.