Isshin-en

Tea gardens covering steep mountain slopes in a secluded valley town, where the natural environment contributes to the tea's unique character. Isshin-en, based in Hinokage Town, Miyazaki Prefecture, produces organically grown tea grown in harmony with nature.

A note from the farmer

For over 30 years, we’ve been growing tea without using any pesticides, with the hope of creating tea that people can drink with peace of mind. When we first made the switch to organic farming, there were years when we couldn’t harvest anything.

Now, we’re completely pesticide-free, don’t use any chemical fertilizers, and even our handmade fertilizers are plant-based—no animal products at all.

We take tea-making seriously and put our hearts into every step.

We hope our tea brings a little joy to your day.

A commitmet to making healthy tea

Isshin-en's passion for natural farming and creating teas that are good for your health extends to creating their own natural, plant based fertilisers. They combine and ferment natural natural ingredients such as hay, rice, lees, oil cakes and bran to draw out micro-organisims that create rich soil. "Since it is something we eat every day, we want something we can feel safe in"

Hinokage Town Terroir

The tea plantation sits at a relatively high elevation in Miyazaki's mountainous terrain, which provides ideal growing conditions for tea. The cooler mountain climate, combined with morning mists and clean mountain water, creates an environment that produces tea with distinctive flavor characteristics. The elevation and natural fog help protect the tea plants from harsh sunlight and contribute to the development of amino acids that give the tea its rich flavour.

When founder Isshin Kai created this farm where the now long established tea gardens sit, the mountain was untouched. He cleared and carved out the valley wall himself by hand without use of heavy machinery creating the tea gardens we see today.

The farm's approach emphasises working with nature rather than against it. They maintain biodiversity in and around the tea fields, which helps create a balanced ecosystem that naturally controls pests. This philosophy extends to their processing methods as well, where they aim to bring out the inherent qualities of the tea leaves through careful steaming, rolling, and drying.