I grew up in Wazuka, Kyoto, on a small tea field my father inherited from my grandfather 50 years ago. Every day, my mother roasted hojicha in our garden, and it became the taste of our family life.

When my father passed away in 2018, I decided to preserve this tea by taking over the fields. At first, I followed his conventional farming methods, but I soon felt uncomfortable with chemical fertilizers. Guided by natural farming mentors and inspired by my mother’s organic vegetable growing, I shifted to pesticide- and fertilizer-free cultivation in 2019. Yields declined at first, but I believe in the plants’ natural resilience and the strength of living soil.

Before inheriting the family field, I had already experimented with abandoned gardens—crafting white, oolong, and black teas by hand. To my surprise, these “neglected” fields often produced teas with unique, vibrant flavors. What many view as problems, I see as possibilities.

The name “Utena Chaya” means “lookout point” in ancient Yamato. Though my tea field is small, I chose this name in the hope it can be a place where we look together toward new possibilities and the future of tea.