春日園川路製茶KASUGAEN KAWAJI SEICHA
有機栽培を始めて30年、技術とアイデアで拓いてきた茶の道
30 years of organic farming, exploring the tea with unique ideas and techniques.
鹿児島市北部に位置する、日置市伊集院町。山が多く大規模な農業には不向きな土地ながら、気温の寒暖差が大きく隣接農園も少ないことから、この地で茶の有機栽培を30年営むのが春日園川路製茶です。もともと茶の技術者だった祖父の影響もあり、父の代で創業。現在は2代目の到さんが中心となり、通常の緑茶だけでなく紅茶や烏龍茶など発酵工程を必要とする茶づくりにも励んでいます。
Ijuin, Hioki City is located in the northern part of Kagoshima City. This area holds many mountains and not very suitable for large-scale agriculture, but the temperature difference is large and there are few adjacent farms. Kasugaen has been running organic tea farms for 30 years in this area. Founded in his father's generation, partly due to the influence of his grandfather, who was originally a tea technician. Currently, the second generation, Mr. Itaru, is playing a central role in making not only ordinary green tea but also black tea and oolong tea that require a fermentation processes.
発酵茶による夏茶の付加価値向上を目指して
Aiming to increase the added value of late plucking with fermented tea
春先に穫れる一番茶がもっとも品質が高いとされ高値で取引される一方で、梅雨や暑さ、病害虫の被害で収穫が大変な二番茶や三番茶は一般に一番茶の半分以下の価格で取引されます。それに疑問を感じた川路さんは、夏茶の付加価値向上のため発酵茶の開発にもチャレンジしています。べにふうき紅茶をはじめ、緑茶品種を使用した烏龍茶、最近では白茶などほとんど日本では作られていない茶にも挑戦しています。お客様のリクエストに応じて様々なお茶を生み出せる技術力とフットワークの軽さが春日園の強みです。
The first harvest in early spring is considered to be the highest quality and traded at a high price, while the second and third plucking, which are difficult to harvest due to the rainy season, heat, and pests, are generally traded at less than half the price of the first harvest. Mr. Kawaji was skeptical about it, and is taking the challenge of developing fermented teas to increase the added value of summer picking tea. Benifuki black tea, and Oolong tea based on green tea varieties are their early developments. Recently they are challenging producing the teas that are rarely made in Japan, such as white tea. Kasugaen's strengths are its technological capabilities and light footwork that can produce a variety of teas according to customer requests.
栽培品種– Available varieties –
やぶきた Yabukita /
さえみどり Saemidori /
あさのか Asanoka /
ゆたかみどり Yutaka Midori /
べにふうき Benifuuki /
おくゆたか Okuyutaka /
はるのなごり Harunonagori /
あさつゆ Asatsuyu /
するがわせ Surugawase /
さえあかり Saeakari /
ふうしゅん Fuushun /
つゆひかり Tsuyuhikari
製造可能茶種– Production types –
有機深蒸し茶 Organic Fukamushi Sencha /
有機煎茶 Organic Sencha (Futsumushi) /
有機番茶 Organic Bancha /
有機秋冬番茶 Organic Akibancha /
有機ほうじ茶 Organic Houjicha /
有機萎凋香緑茶 Organic Withered Green Tea /
有機紅茶 Organic Black Tea /
有機白茶 Organic White Tea /
有機ウーロン茶 Organic Oolong Tea
所在地– Location –
鹿児島県日置市伊集院町中川414
414 Nakagawa, Ijuin-cho, Hioki-city, Kagoshima
414 Nakagawa, Ijuin-cho, Hioki-city, Kagoshima