Interview with James and Natsumi from Osada Tea

The team at Arigato Travel has had the opportunity to meet with two pivotal members of the Osada Tea company. Natsumi Osada is an 8th Dan-ranking tea professional with a strong passion for organic, high-quality tea, sporting multiple awards and certificates to support his views. Similarly passionate, James, an ambassador for tea in the Shizuoka Prefecture, is one of two Americans to pass Japan’s notoriously difficult Tea Test. With such impressive achievements and qualifications, we could not wait to introduce Natsumi and James here on our blog.

Could you both please introduce yourselves for us?

Natsumi: My name is Natsumi Osada, Representative Director of Osada Tea Co. I am a Japanese tea instructor and taster with an 8th-grade tea judging skill.

James: And my name is James, one of the first Americans to become a certified Japanese tea instructor in Japan. I have lived in Japan for 10 years and discovered Japanese tea around my 5th or 6th year living here.

What was it that got you both started with tea? Are there any interesting similarities in your stories?

Natsumi: I met my wife in college, and her family was a tea wholesaler. After graduation, I took over her family business, which was my first encounter with tea.

James: I discovered tea when I had a chance to work at a Japanese tea company in Shizuoka, where I was able to see the production of tea at all levels firsthand. At this point, I started buying books to learn about Japanese tea, including the 日本茶すべてがわかる本. Also, my colleagues at that time lent me their Japanese tea instructor texts they used when studying for that test, so I started studying those to learn about Japanese tea quickly.

In your own opinion, what do you think makes Japanese tea special?

Natsumi: It is a luxury grocery item and is healthy. The green color is beautiful, and the flavor changes depending on how it is brewed.

James: I find it interesting that it has been around so long, how different types of tea from various periods and locations, such as matcha, kamairicha and sencha, have experienced different evolutions of popularity. Of course, today we see matcha booming in popularity, seemingly indicating history has gone full circle. At the end of the day, Camellia sinensis is a plant, and I think it is interesting for its application in traditional Chinese medicine in ancient times, to the current overseas demand for Japanese tea today.

For me, what makes Japanese tea fun is the endless combination of cultivar type and regional selection, making it a lifelong learning process.

Why do you both feel that tea is such an important part of Japanese life?

Natsumi: It matches Japanese food and facilitates human relations in the Japanese living room.

James: In Japan, it is part of the culture to an extent, historically.
I think tea is a tool for Japan to connect with the rest of the world as global need supersedes domestic demand.

The younger generation finds it hard to slow down and take time to brew tea, however, overseas the culture contained in Japanese tea will likely continue in popularity.

As Natsumi said, it matches well with certain cuisines, and the pairing you get to enjoy with food and tea gives it a fun element, which is a good topic of study for Japanese and outside uses alike, at cafes and so on.

Why did you both choose organic?

Natsumi: We commercialized powdered tea 30 years ago. We thought that if we take it as nourishment for our body, it should be pesticide-free, so we had it produced in the neighboring town of Haruno-cho. After that, organic certification started, and we have obtained certification accordingly. Since it is difficult to blend organic teas, we produce a variety of teas, including asamushicha, kama-iricha, kabusecha, matcha ingredients, black tea, and oolong tea.

James: For myself, I have always had a vested interest in organic goods since they are healthier for us as humans and produce better for the environment. My background and interest in health, longevity, Chinese medicine, and organic agriculture made the initiative of organic teas at Osada Seicha a seamless match, in terms of work, hobby, and play.

Is it hard to maintain your organic commitment when growing your tea leaves?

Natsumi: It is very difficult to secure raw material leaves.

James: Natsumi is committed to the organic value chain and business-wise, will keep growing this segment. However, there is limited availability across Japan, so it becomes a competitive market for producers to acquire organic ingredient leaf from suppliers growing it around the country. The commitment is there, it is now a matter of maintaining supply and relationships for growth.

James, how does it feel to be one of the first two Americans to complete the Nihoncha Instructor Certification Program?

James: It was a fun goal and was a nice achievement. Now I am looking for ways to explore Japanese tea to keep it fresh and fun for myself. Anyone can do it, it just requires Japanese reading ability, time, and commitment.

Natsumi, out of all of your awards and certificates, which was the most rewarding to achieve?

Natsumi: Definitely winning first place in the 56th National Tea Judging Techniques Competition.

With such a great range at Osada Tea, what is your favorite tea product that you both would recommend?

Natsumi: Yamabuki Nadeko, which is unique to our company, is especially recommended.

James: As Natsumi said, the organic, post-fermented black Koji tea called Yamabuki Nadeshiko is pretty neat and a unique tea of its own. I really enjoy the whole plethora of organic sencha teas Osada Seicha provides. Tasty, organic, and fun.

What dish do you believe best complements this tea?

Natsumi: It goes well with any cuisine, Japanese, Western, or Chinese, but since it is a black tea, we would like you to drink it with Cantonese cuisine.

James: I usually enjoy buying the healthy obento selections from a local West Shizuoka restaurant called Chikuya Provides. I often chase these fresh obento with any of the organic teas, but recently, organic Kamairicha goes well with greasy foods. About the Yamabuki Nadeshiko, I often drink the PET bottle variant after my company bento for its refreshing feel and the aroma is nice, although subtle, like fruit or rose. For some reason, the PET bottle drink is my go-to after lunch. For sencha, I enjoy pairing that with any of the local Japanese sweets I can get my hands on in Mori-Machi (where the company is located). Also fun to serve whoever happens to be at the company at the time, for fun.

Thank you so much to both of you for taking the time to talk with us today! We truly appreciate you giving us a chance to share your stories and tea with our readers!

Social Media:

Website: https://osadaen.co.jp/ https://osadateajapan.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/osadateajapan/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/osadateajapan

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@osadatea

Featured Photo Credit: James

If you’re coming to Japan and would like to try some authentic Japanese teas, be sure to check out these green tea and food tours!