Katagi Kouka En is a family-owned tea farm producing Asamiya tea in Shiga, Japan.

Shiga is roughly located in the center of Japan.

 

I, Takatomo Katagi, am the 7th generation head of our farm.

 

It was my father who decided to take a different path while most of farmers used pesticides and chemical fertilizers to start mass production during the economic growth in the 70's.

 

He stopped spraying pestcides and started luring spiders, bees and praying mantis.

He removed weeds by hand.

He mixed fallen leaves with soil as a fertilizer.

 

He suffered for the first 3 years. He shed tears everytime he saw tea trees dying from the insect affection. He had to get extra part time jobs to feed his family. Neighbors laughed at him saying he must be producing bugs intead of green teas.

 

After 3 years, tea trees sprang back to life, with more strength and energy.

Since then, we have been able to provide with organic green tea.