Exploring Japan - A Visit to the d:matcha Tea Shop in Wazuka, Kyoto

This is part of the series that I've been writing on the town of Wazuka in Kyoto, you can read and view the pictures from Part 1 and Part 2 on Steemit if you haven't already. Here today I continue with a small piece on d:matcha, a tea shop and company owned by Daiki Tanaka in this small tea town.

I wrote a little about Daiki in part 2 of my series but his goal is to create a company here in Wazuka that's producing some of the highest quality tea in Japan. His brother is head of the farming in Wazuka, Daiki's wife helps him run the d:matcha shop and instruct people on how to make sencha and matcha and educate a new audience. When I say 'goal', I actually mean that they are already doing it. Daiki has been able to create quite a unique business that he looks to expand in the future.

When I saw their shop I was particularly inspired by the contrast between their space and others in the area. As a small town the population is mainly elders, which is fine but makes for a situation where many of the businesses are also more family orientated and are even part of some of the houses in this town. In contrast, d:matcha has a very modern space where they look to integrate a whole new style in to this area and bring it up to date and taking ideas from the city and bringing them here in to the countryside. I think this will be key in revitalising this area and promoting it to westerners and even to those who are living in Japan.

Here are some photos of inside the shop and also some matcha being ground and made with a special bamboo whisk. Matcha is produced by taking fine quality tea leaves and grinding them with a stone mill, in turn you get this bright green powder that's very healthy. I hope you like the pictures and will check out my selection of tea now available at OEN Shop. Enjoy.