Around April 11:

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  This tea farm is near by the birthplace of Uji tea. Here is the latest place at where cherry blossoms bloom in Kyoto. This is as of April 10.

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  Cherry blossoms around the mountain ravines in Ujitawara is now full bloom.

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  TANA canopy built with modern materials.

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  "HONZU" TANA canopy. "HONZU" is the most traditional style of TANA canopy made with reeds and straw.

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  Inside of TANA canopy as of April 10.

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  Tea leaves for Sencha (Shincha) as of April 10.

Over the last week (April 4 to 10) the maximum temperature each day was about 12C (54F) to 19C (62F), and the minimum temperature each day was about 1C (34F) to 8C (46F) in Ujitawara, Kyoto. These are good conditions for tea sprouts at the early stage of growth.
And it rained about 3 or 4 days in the past two weeks. These are ideal conditions for tea sprouts at the early stage of growth. So, tea sprouts have begun to grow quickly and vigorously. We hope that the spring frost will not come at the end of April because it could possibly cause serious damage to the tea sprouts. Tea sprouts in the middle or later stage are most susceptible to damage by spring frost.

In contrast to Sencha, tea trees for Gyokuro and Matcha are now being covered with curtains. The structure of the picture on the right of upper side is called "Tana". Tea leaves for Gyokuro and Matcha are carefully grown under diffused sunlight for twenty to thirty days before harvesting, creating Theanine, which gives the tea a wonderfully sweet taste. Tea leaves for Gyokuro or Matcha are grown under diffused sunlight in three steps, (1) we cover only over the top of the tea trees, (2) we cover the sides, and (3) we put an additional covering over the top to create more shade. It enables us to adjust the level of shade and sunlight. It is difficult to assess the timing and takes skill and practice to grow perfect green tea. If covered using inappropriate timing, tea sprouts don't grow enough or create enough Theanine, which gives the tea its characteristic sweetness. Tea spouts for Gyokuro and Matcha will start to be harvested around on and after the middle to end of May.

"Honzu" is a very special way of building "Tana". It is the traditional way of diffusing sunlight from long ago, and these days it is very rare to see, even in the Uji region. In the "Honzu" method, tea farmers build a structure to provide shade to the tea trees using only reeds and straw. Old-style reeds and straw provide the ideal shade for tea trees. And it is said that the constituents exuded from the straw through the rainwater exercise good effects on the tea leaves.
However, it is not easy to build this structure of reeds and straw, to gather so much reeds and straw, and to manage to keep the "Honzu" in good condition throughout the growing season. For example, if a strong wind blew just after placement of the straw, the straw would be blown away and ruined. If it rains once after the placement of the straw, the rainwater firms the structure. Today only less than 10 farmers in all of Japan manage "Honzu" (only in Ogura and a few other areas in the Uji region). Our Kuradashi Gyokuro Pinnacle, which is limited edition only available in autumn, is grown in diffused sunlight under the reed and straw "Honzu". Please wait and see.

Meanwhile, the tea leaves for Sencha (Shincha) are being generously flooded with light. There is about three weeks or more until the Shincha (Sencha) harvest!

Around April 4:

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  The cherry blossoms here in Ujitawara will start blooming today's afternoon or tomorrow. This is as of 10:00 AM on April 4.
  Weather forecast says it's going to warm up suddenly today.

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  This is at the birthplace of Japanese tea. It is sunny and really refreshing day today on April 3rd.
  Can you hear UGUISU bush warbler's carol?

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  SUISEN narcissus blossoms late winter to early spring. Full-fledged spring is coming.

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  Electric fans are strategically placed around the tea trees to stir the air to avoid spring frost.

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  Electric fans activate when the temperature gets too cold.

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  Tea sprouts as of April 3.

The cherry blossoms here in Ujitawara, which is going to start blooming at the late half of this week, will be at their best in a few days. It is just same as usual and later than a week than past a few years.
At the birthplace of Uji tea, the Obuku area nestled in mountain ravines, the cherry blossoms will be at their peak next weekend. Among all the cherry blossom trees in Kyoto, those which grow in the Obuku valley always bloom last.

At this time, it is possible for the cold weather to return, but it rarely frosts. A frost in spring is devastating because it completely ruins any tea sprouts. Small tea sprouts not yet open can't easily be damaged by spring frost but tea sprouts fully opened can be damaged completely. It can frost on a dry fine morning after a clear and sunny day due to radiative cooling. If there is a frost after the tea sprouts grow and fully open, the damage would be immense. Such immense damage by late spring frost happens once every few decades.

Electric fans are strategically placed around the tea trees to stir the air during the month of April to avoid spring frost. Late frosts may occur on cold nights when there is radiational cooling with no cloud cover and no wind at midnight. Electric fans activate when the temperature gets too cold. It is also important to check if all electric fans work normally, and to repair any malfunctions in March. We must pay attention to the lowest temperature of each day until the end of April.

During the past 7 days, the lowest temperature of each day was 1C (34F) to 7C (45F) and the highest temperature was 10C (50F) to 18C (65F). Cold in early spring like the previous period is called HANA BINE in Japan, which means chill in cherry-blossom time.
We think that this year's harvest will start May 3rd or 8th which is almost same with usual. It depends on the weather from now on.

Around March 28:

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  As of March 27.
  Cherry blossoms will start blooming in some days. We had relatively colder weather than past a few years until March 20. It got rapidly warm after that.

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  UME Plum is now full bloom here in Ujitawara, which some days later than past a few years.
  (Above is white plum as of March 27)

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  Many brooks run in and around our tea farms. All of them are pure, calm and clear. Babbling of a brook melts your heart.

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  Proof of tea tree absorbing enough nutrients.
  Soil, fed abundant fertilizer since last summer, among tea trees. Healthy soil is airy because of minute creatures' activities.

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  Tea sprouts as of March 27.

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Cherry blossom season will start in Kyoto just in a couple days. The beautiful pink blossoms will be able to be seen at parks which are filled with so many cherry trees, as well as scattered throughout famous temples and shrines. Kyoto's cherry blossoms will be full bloom in just some days. We took photos of the cherry trees at our tea farm. The cherry blossoms at our farm in the lush valley surrounded by mountains will start to bloom in some days. It is almost same with usual year and some days later than past a few years.

Our tea trees were fed a generous amount of fertilizer last autumn. Then they were fed fertilizer again at the end of February to the middle of March. The old tea leaves have become a deep burnished green color. This is proof that the tea trees are absorbing enough nutrients from the fertilizer. It takes a few weeks to a month after being fertilized for the tea trees to fully absorb and then begin utilizing the nutrients. If new buds grow before the tea tree has finished fully absorbing the nutrients, then the taste of the tea leaves becomes less smooth and mellow.

There were many relatively warmer days than usual in the first ten days of this month, and many cold days called KAN no MODORI (returning cold days) after the middle of the month. Judging from the tea sprout growth and weather in the last few weeks, this year's harvest will occur at the usual time, like the cherry blossoms. Tea sprout growth often mirrors the blooming of the cherry trees. If the cherry trees bloom late, the tea harvest will be late too. It is about five weeks or more until the Shincha harvest.

Around March 21:

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  Sky starts changing to spring's light and clear blue.
  

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  Charcoals. Farmers or destructive animal hunters had a bonfire for warmth in severe cold days.

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  Wild flowers start their springtime growth.

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  UME plum flower is quite cue and beautiful. Can you feel balmy aroma? (as of Mar 18)
  The peak will be soon which is some days later than past a few years due to cold weather in this March.

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  Cherry blossom buds around March 19.

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  Tea sprouts on March 19. They have just begun to grow.

In the last half of February the sky starts changing from winter's heavy and dark gray to spring's light and clear blue, step by step here in Ujitawara. And in March the cold starts letting up slowly. It is called SAN KAN SHI ON, which means coming four warm days after three cold days. Then spring will be coming day by day.

Though we have had relatively mild winters for the past few years, this winter was as cold as usual or a little colder. The rainfall amount from last autumn to this winter was a little less than usual. At the beginning and the middle of March, we had some rainy days. It was a true blessing. Despite the bitter cold weather, tea tree conditions in Kyoto are healthy overall, without significant damage.
Besides, it is predicted that the rainfall amount in April will be the same as usual or a little more, and the temperature will be the same as usual. We think that it is a positive outlook for tea tree conditions.

This is the time of year when UME Japanese plum typically will be in full bloom here in Ujitawara soon, and this year, the peak of UME blooming is some days later than past a few years. UME blooms a few or more weeks earlier than cherry blossoms. Once you step into a plum grove, you feel the balmy plum aroma, which hints that spring will come soon.

On the other hand, the cherry tree buds have begun to swell. Tea sprouts too, usually start to appear around the week of the equinox (March 21st). The harvest of Shincha (the first tea of the year) usually starts around the beginning of May and continues for 6 weeks or more. Tea trees, tea farmers, and the whole tea industry eagerly wish for good weather in April and May which is a critical time to ensure a successful harvest and yield.

Shincha (the first tea of the year) is harvested starting at the beginning of May in Kyoto. We are planning to sell some limited edition Shincha items only available this Shincha harvest season. Celebrate our first tea harvest of the year with Hibiki-an's Shincha and enjoy the remarkable fresh flavor, which can only be experienced once every year! Please wait and see!