SAM’S WAKOCHA

Okumidori black tea from Wazuka, Japan.

“You’ve never known a person more devoted to his craft. Working day, working night, I mean he even built his own tea factory with his own hands”.

- Michael Blodgett

Sam’s Wakocha is a rare black tea from Japan, fully oxidized and made with precision from okumidori cultivar buds, which are more commonly destined for steamed green tea. Grown and crafted by Osamu Ueda, this tea is the first selection we’ve brought in from his farm:Wacha-en, or “black tea farm".

Osamu’s story is atypical, but increasingly familiar in Japan’s changing tea landscape. He didn’t inherit his fields. He wasn’t born into a long family line of growers. He came from the city, drawn not by legacy, but by the promise of a meaningful life close to land. He got his start under Akky-san of Obubu Tea Plantations and now manages his own 2.5 hectares of tea fields in Wazuka. The two still collaborate often.

While most producers in the region focus on green tea, Osamu specializes in black tea, refining a style that’s still far from mainstream in Japan. This lot is composed of early spring material: tiny, tender buds processed with care and full oxidation. The result is light in color and delicate in flavor. Pumpkin skin. Toasted sunflower seed. Gentle, lasting sweetness.

We admire Osamu’s work not only for the tea, but for what it represents. He’s part of a new generation of Japanese producers building toward a different future for the industry, one that values curiosity, community, and craft over tradition for tradition’s sake. Supporting these growers is how we protect and preserve tea in Japan.

STEEPING PARAMETERS