Here is a map I found online:
https://i0.wp.com/www.sommerier.com/wp- ... n_0016.jpg
Many of the gardens in this area are quite high for Japan - some up to 800 m. Based on Florent, a lot of these teas are treated minimally with agrochemicals- and due to declining demand, the plantations are going feral. Lack of demand is linked to later first Harvest date due to higher elevation - and how the Japanese particularly value early harvest .
Would love to hear other people's experience with the hon yama teas. Some great ones are offered by Thes du Japon:
- Sencha from okawa-oma, by a Mr. Nakamura. For more, refer to https://japaneseteasommelier.wordpress. ... okawa-oma/
Also see:
viewtopic.php?p=702#p702
viewtopic.php?p=39878#p39878
viewtopic.php?p=40104#p40104
- Sencha from "famous" tsukiji gardens in Tamakawa by a "genius" practicing super brief 6s steaming. Some of the tea is so high up, it takes a crude monorail to move the raw materials. Read more about this place here: https://japaneseteasommelier.wordpress. ... l-tobetto/
Also see
viewtopic.php?p=10057#p10057
viewtopic.php?p=23472#p23472
- Sencha from Umegashima, a "remote" highland area with many abandoned gardens. TDJ offers an interesting zairai from one of the gardens. For more, refer to https://japaneseteasommelier.wordpress. ... megashima/
https://hojotea.com/item_e/g18e.htm
Previous entry on his gyokuro:
viewtopic.php?p=39589#p39589
And his sencha:
viewtopic.php?p=40457#p40457
I could not determine where hebizuka is but I suspect this is the same Nakamura as the the okawa oma Nakamura that produces TDJ's teas, though I cannot be certain. Nakamura is a common name but how many are making high mountain tea in this area? Also, Hojo but not TDJ highlights the extra withering step by this teamaster. I bought some tea from both and will try to do a side by side at some point.
Edit: it seems this Nakamura may be the same as described on this website, suggesting he is not the same person as the one from TDJ, and that his farm is in umegashima at the abe river headwaters
http://www.marumatsu-tea.co.jp/en/growers/#nakamura
Note this blurb also highlights withering.
Finally, it seems based on these two pictures of nakamura, one from TDJ's blog ( https://japaneseteasommelier.wordpress. ... ival-2016/ ) and one from Hojo's page, they really cannot be the same person
Den's tea is another vendor that has several hon yama offerings:
https://denstea.com/search?q=honyama&op ... ix%5D=last
Teamania also offers hon yama teas from the garden of a Mr. Sato ranging from aracha to hand processed:
https://www.teamania.ch/en/?s=Hon+yama&submit=Search
History
https://japanesetea.sg/japanese-tea-pedia/honyama-cha/
The origin of Honyama-cha dates back approximately 800 years.
The first tea tree in the area what is now Shizuoka prefecture was planted by a high-monk of the name of Shouichikokushi. In 1241, he brought back a tea seed from China to Ashikubo, an area on Abe Mountain in Shizuoka. This is said to be the start of Honyama-cha, and also Shizuoka-cha as well.
In 1605, the beginning of the Edo Era, the first shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu decided to reside in Sumpu Castle, a castle located in the lower stream of Abe river. He is known to be an unparalleled lover of green tea, and he regularly enjoyed Honyama-cha to be delivered to the castle. The relationship between Honyama-cha and the Tokugawa did not end there. There are records that Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the 5th Shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, ordered Sencha to be delivered to the Edo Castle from Ashikubo. For 60 years thereafter, Ashikubo continued to gift green tea to the Edo Castle, cementing its brand in the meantime.
Until then, the tea in this area was not called the Honyama-cha. It was called Abe-cha, as it was tea produced near the Abe river. During the Taisho Era (1912 - 1926) the brand name was changed to Honmaru-cha. This name implies that it is the authentic and original Shizuoka-cha.
Although considered part of the Honyama-cha, tea produced in Ashikubo still goes by the name Ashikubo-cha.