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| EEnglish Top >>@FAQ headline@>> Answers |
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| @About Us and Our Tea |
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Q.1-1 |
What kind of shop is NISHIDE SEICHAJYO CO., LTD.& NISHIDE SEICHAJYO WEB SHOP? |
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A.1-1 |
NISHIDE SEICHAJYO CO., LTD. , as the wholesale store who has been continuing since Edo Period located in the tea producing place in Kyoto, has been making an expert careful selection and a produce of Tea Leaves in various areas made and mainly UJI-CHA, presently also doing the business mainly on a wholesale deal. We are also corresponding to supply our products for the customer’s original designed items like as OEM and Private Brand style, etc.
Regarding to our dealing Tea Leave, We sometimes use other tea leaves than UJI-CHA with specifying relevant information of producing place, as far as when we will be required by our customers .
NISHIDE SEICHAJYO WEB SHOP was established by NISHIDE SEICHAJYO CO., LTD. for the purposes of telling good of UJI-CHA and its profundity to customers, informing the matter of Tea Cultivation & efforts and works of the production site to customers just as it , and utilizing everybody’s voice of consumers for our productions. We are aiming at the store which can provide the attraction and the intelligence of Japanese Tea correctly, especially for Leaf Teas. |
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Q.1-2 |
What is a commodity line up of NISHIDE SEICHAJYO WEB SHOP & NISHIDE SEICHAJYO CO., LTD.? |
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A.1-2 |
In NISHIDE SEICHAJYO WEB SHOP, the finished tea and the by-product made in the finishing process (like as Kuki [stem] -Cha and Kona [powder]-Cha) are main commodities basically.The major dealing tea kinds are GYOKURO / Hand Picked-GYOKURO / KABUSE-CHA / SENCHA / FUKAMUSHI-CHA / HOUJI-CHA / GENMAI-CHA / MATCHA, etc.
NISHIDE SEICHAJYO CO., LTD. is selling ARA-CHA as well which becomes raw material of teas, additionally on the above. |
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Q.1-3 |
Is all tea of NISHIDE SEICHAJYO WEB SHOP & NISHIDE SEICHAJYO CO., LTD. UJI-CHA? |
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A.1-3 |
Because we manage NISHIDE SEICHAJYO WEB SHOP as the specialty store of UJI-CHA, so our dealing teas are all UJI-CHA. NISHIDE SEICHAJYO CO., LTD. also has been producing Tea Leaves mainly UJI-CHA, and we sometimes may deal tea leaves produced in other areas than UJI-CHA done according to the requirement of our customers. In that case, we sure comply with the display obligation by defining the producing place, if it needs. |
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Q.1-4 |
What kind of tea do you point at with “UJI-CHA”? |
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A.1-4 |
The “UJI-CHA” in our shop is made a principle of the contents mentioned in [Area Group Trademark Registration], and we provide that our own criteria were added on it. Further, we catch the meaning of “UJI-CHA” as which is one of calling names of the Japanese Tea Brand considering to the producing method and the historical progress, we distinguish it from the calling names indicating cultivation places, such as “Uji-made” or “Kyoto prefecture made”. But in a case of our shop using indications like as “Uji-made” and “Kyoto prefecture made” etc, we never use other tea leaves than such mentioning producing places. |
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Q.1-5 |
What is the “UJI-CHA” registered in [Area Group Trademark Registration]. |
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A.1-5 |
It shows that [the Green Tea processed and elaborated by manufacturers located in Kyoto prefecture, by the formula descended from original UJI area, with the Tea-Leaves made in 4 prefectures of Kyoto- Prefecture, Nara- Prefecture, Shiga- Prefecture and Mie- Prefecture.] |
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Q.1-6 |
What kind of criteria on your shop’s original about [What UJI-CHA is]? |
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A.1-6 |
Our criteria are that the producing ARA-CHA with correctly following the formula of [the Green Tea process made of the green] which was, in Japan first, invented by the Master SOEN NAGATANI at UJITAWARA in 1738, (The present Bright Green Tea had been created in a region of UJITAWARA, its formula was transmitted to all part of area and contemporary Green Tea Culture has been made up.) and whether the finished tea leaves combine with a suitable quality to be called as UJI-CHA is also our important criteria. There again, even in a case of blending with other tea leaves than Kyoto prefecture made is needed, we preferentially use tea leaves made in tea farms which are similar condition to the topography and the climate condition of the basin of Uji-River. |
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| @About wholesales |
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Q.2-1 |
Do NISHIDE SEICHAJYO WEB SHOP and NISHIDE SEICHAJYO CO., LTD. respond to some wholesales? |
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A.2-1 |
Yes, we are serving for all kinds of wholesale. Please do not hesitate to ask us about individual contents and details through our question form of [contact us] or by Email. |
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Q.2-2 |
By what kind of type is it possible for your wholesale dea? |
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A.2-2 |
We sometimes do supply materials of only Tea Leaves or with individual gift packing, or we sometimes do consultation for a planning of goods including a packaging design & delivery with an individual wrapping, or we can arrange to choice recommendable Tea Leaves and making new item brand, etc, fitting with the customer’s development of original goods (OEM or Private Brand) and usages.
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Q.2-3 |
How much is your wholesale smallest unit? |
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A.2-3 |
It also depends on contents and shipping off condition, but we will also be able to correspond to the small lot, as much as possible. As we also correspond to provide the trial sales lot & samples, please inquire any time.
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Q.2-4 |
Can a sample of goods be ordered? |
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A.2-4 |
Regarding to our usual goods, of course, we would like to offer it to you.@Also if there are something requested about teas of customer, we shall make samples according to the requests. In the case of shippment to foreign countries , you need only the actual cost of postage.
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Q.2-5 |
Is the wholesale toward overseas countries possible? |
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A.2-5 |
Though the condition is different depending on countries and areas, we welcome to inquiries for our further talks and we can forward it. The sample submitting is also available, please inquire us any time.
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| @About out attitude for the tea makings |
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Q.3-1 |
What kind of point are commitments and particulars about products in NISHIDE SEICHAJYO CO., LTD. & NISHIDE SEICHAJYO WEB SHOP? |
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A.3-1 |
Both of our WEB Shop and our Company do not think or don’t’ catch the Tea as just dried vegetable. The Tea Leaf has been managed appropriately from called ARA-CHA of semi-processed article until finished tea leaves, and it will be finally completed with ultimate careful-selection process at last. There are also the tea leaves which quality improves after ripeness through the certain fixed retention period. We trust that it is our commitment & vocation to deliver the Tea Leaves grown to 100% by and in Tea Farmers to the customers with the shape of Tea Leaves by 120%. |
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Q.3-2 |
How different is the Finished Tea from ARA-CHA? |
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A.3-2 |
The ARA-CHA has been cultivated by Tea Farmers, and produced through basic process of steams and soft rubs after pickings, thus it is a tea becomes the material of finished tea. Of course, quite high technologies and skills based on various experiences are needed in that process.
After the above, the finished Tea will be completed through processes of making the size of the tea leaves even uniformly, sorting into tea leaf, stem, powder, etc., and roasting process for fragrance stand out which called as “HI-IRE (parching)”. In the case of GYOKURO and MATCHA (Powder Green Tea), the quality will be sometimes completed with the ripeness formed by some safekeeping in a certain fixed period at the well-appointed refrigeration facilities.
After the finishing process, there are two cases when several kinds of finished tea leaves will be blended and becomes one product, and which becomes a single product items without blend. It is not always good for non-blended tea of the single item, and there are also teas with blend by which the characteristics will be increased by many percents for the first time. Also because for the flavor of the tea leaves sometimes to change dramatically by doing parch, so it should be becoming very important to ascertain whether blends and parches are the most suitable for each tea leaf or not. |
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Q.3-3 |
What kind of point is the feature of the Tea Leaves in NISHIDE SEICHAJYO WEB SHOP & NISHIDE SEICHAJYO CO., LTD.? |
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A.3-3 |
Among whole of Tea Producing Places, of course there are both of good tea farms and out of them existing together. But even though by so good tea farms, wonderful teas are not made equally every year. As far as it is one of farm products, we have to suffer to the gap of crops well and badly depending on years.@We examined all of tea leaf listed in the Tea Markets seriously, and carefully selected only the highest quality tea leaves at that timing in that year & the most suitable tea leaves for our own store we trust, then we purchase them for our stock. We believe that it is our confidence to the product and certain security for the quality by which we have really been visiting to the tender sales meetings at Kyoto Tea Market by almost 100% frequency and we only do our purchase after our own checking all of listed tea leaves there as far as time permits.
&the processing of ARA-CHA matched to our store's Tea Leaves by the communication with Tea Farmers which are as much as possible.
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| @About the safety control of our Tea Leaves |
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Q.4-1 |
Was the Tea Leaves of “NISHIDE SEICHAJYO WEB Shop” grown safely? |
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A.4-1 |
The Tea Leaves which becomes our raw materials are done of stock by the ARA-CHA style from adjacent producing Farmers in Kyoto prefecture and through Tea Markets like as ZEN-NOH Tea Market of Kyoto, etc. The ARA-CHA is the tea leaves before the process of the finishing treatment, which is produced in factories of producing Farmers own or communal factories, etc. All of the ARA-CHA for our WEB Shop’s stocks is required to attach the [Tea Production History Record], and we never use the ARA-CHA without the [Tea Production History Record] for our raw materials. |
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Q.4-2 |
What is a [Tea Production History Record]? |
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A.4-2 |
It is the Document of Records showing the process of tea cultivations, like as a Disinfestation Record of diseases & vermin and a Fertilization Record, etc, so it should be even called a health certificate of teas. Fertilizations and disinfestations of diseases & vermin have been performed based on [The disinfestation guideline index for tea plant disease & vermin] stipulated under the presumption to produce clean and safe teas. We perfectly keep and manage all of tea’s [Tea Production History Record] & [Manufacturing Process Record], then we systematized to be available to confirm with all of ARA-CHA which becomes our raw materials, concerning with our blended Teas, as well. |
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Q.4-3 |
How is your safety control in the process of finishing and the careful selection? |
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A.4-3 |
The Tea Leaves we will deliver and the Tea Leaves by which a finishing process completed have been executed of the checking with extracting by hot water certainly once. We are careful not to overlook the points which only can be understood and found by the person's five senses such as a stink and a carry over scent by a person’s Reaction Check. Also in the finishing process, we located many high-magnetic-force magnets at each place, and we are making our best effort toward the removal of metallic stuffs. More over, an alien substance remover equipped with CCD Camera is installed at the end part of manufacturing process, so that infusion of alien substances beside the Tea Leaves is suppressed in a minimum. Further more, since putting it in the manufacturing factory & bagging process, we are also making our highest effort toward the thoroughness of alien substances removal by eye watching, and we are endeavoring for attentive production management using person’s sense as much as possible. |
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| @About how to make Tea |
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Q.5-1 |
What should I be careful of to make tea well. |
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A.5-1 |
It’s important to care to 3 points of the Quality of Tea Leaves, the Water to make Tea and the Way of Safekeeping for Tea Leaves. |
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Q.5-2 |
What kind of water is well to make good Japanese tea? |
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A.5-2 |
Basically it is enough to use tap water in Japan, but in a case of hard chlorine smell of water, it is recommended to put in 3-5 minutes with boiling. When using something like mineral water, please use the water called soft water. |
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Q.5-3 |
What kind of water is soft water? |
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A.5-3 |
The mineral element of the calcium and the magnesium is included in mineral water, and the index which indicates the amount of those ingredients is called the Hardness. Something with that hardness a lot more than certain standard is the hard water and something low are called the soft water. The Hardness shown on a label of mineral water, etc. was calculated and exchanged from the amount of the calcium and the magnesium to the amount of the calcium carbonate, and is shown. In a case of 1mg of calcium carbonate is included per 1 liter, so it means the 1 Hardness. Generally the water of this Hardness less than 100 degrees are called soft water, in Japan.
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Q.5-4 |
Please tell me the point of view of the hardness when using mineral water. |
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A.5-4 |
It is indicated on outer label in most cases.The unit is Degree, or [mg/L] (1 degree = 1mg/L).
Generally something by which the Hardness for 0 -100is soft water and 100 - 300 is medium soft water and more than 300 is called hard water, in Japan. |
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Q.5-5 |
What happen if using hard water for Japanese tea. |
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A.5-5
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Though we can’t say necessarily, under our own internal testing, it seems that the flavor reduced by 30% sweepingly, the astringency increased slightly, also cupped tea hue seems to become yellowish impure.
On the other hand, it is said that the taste becomes mellow when espresso coffee is made by hard water. |
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Q.5-6 |
Please tell me safekeeping method suitable for tea. |
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A.5-6 |
It is the best way to keep it in the refrigerator, even before opening the original packaging. After opening original package once, please keep it in like a vegetable compartment of a refrigerator after moving tea leaves to some container which can be sealed up surely or concluding the mouth of a bag tightly. As per it is understandable because tea has the deodorant effect, please avoid to accompany with like as fish or strong smelled items as the tea absorbs surrounding smells. Please also be careful that the smell of the frost will move to the tea and will be a cause which rather loses the tea flavor, if you keep teas in a freezer after the opening of the original bag. The opened mouth of the tea packing must be hold with like a rubber band tightly, kindly finish it up as soon as possible. |
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Q.5-7 |
What kind of tool is necessary to make and enjoy Japanese tea. |
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A.5-7 |
When there are a minimum, a teapot and a teacup, it's adequate for the leaf tea. In cases of making GYOKURO, it is better to use a [Yuzamashi (Cooling Pot)] = (boiled water which has cooled to optimum heat) for more tasty enjoying. It's also better to change the size of the teacup by the tea kinds, so when affording, several kinds of teacup may be wanted. There are other items for enjoying the tea, like as, a tea-saucer, a tea-towel, a teapot lid stand, a teaspoon, etc., so we think that arranging in order a little by a little is also one of pleasantness.
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| @About the classification and the kind of Japanese Tea |
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Q.6-1 |
What do you have for the kind of Japanese teaH |
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A.6-1 |
To classify the Japanese Tea, we have many clues to do it. There are major classifications by the cultivating method, the producing method, the producing place, the timing of pick, the secondly producing method, the parts of tea leave, the kind of breed, etc. |
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Q.6-2 |
What is classification by the methods of cultivation? |
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A.6-2 |
It is largely separated into the cultivated tea leaves in the tea farms with sun shade covers and the cultivated tea leaves at the open tea farms without any shade. The tea leaves in the tea farms with sun shade cover are also classified into GYOKURO and KABUSE-CHA depending on the period of covering. It is often called that the tea leaves covered in 20 days over are GYOKURO, and covered in 15 days over are KABUSE-CHA, and what’s more, there are separated in two style of tea farms which one build many props and fix sun shade cover like a tent over tea trees, and another is using sun shade cover directly on the tea trees that is called [JIKA-GISE]. The tea leaves using covers supported by props is higher quality, depending on the material of the sun shade over, the quality of tea leaves will be different. In the meantime, the tea leaves called SENCHA are generally cultivated without cover at open place, so it is called as [ROJIMONO], but currently some tea leaves treated with cover in a few days only, have become to be dealt as SENCHA. |
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Q.6-3 |
What is classification by production methods & techniques? |
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A.6-3 |
For the production of tea, the process of steaming & soft-rubs are major parts to make ARA-CHA, but the difference of Fuka-Mushi (deep steamed) and Asa-Mushi (light steamed) comes by the length of the time with steaming. Fuka-Mushi has the distinction of deep cupped tea hue, strong & fine flavor and the ease with fastness of a roasted scent in a case of deep roast. On the other hand, Asa-Mushi has the distinction of clear cupped tea hue, plain & simple flavor and fresh aroma which originally tea has. |
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Q.6-4 |
What is classification by producing places? |
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A.6-4 |
Although there are many tea cultivating and producing places in all Japan and each one has each characteristic, now we would like to explain about UJI-CHA especially of Kyoto area and surrounded places for tea leaves producing. The producing places for leaf teas of UJI-CHA are, as first here UJITAWARA of our town, UJI-SHIRAKAWA, KYO-TANABE, KAMO, WAZUKA, MINAMI-YAMASHIRO, TAKAO, RYOTAN, etc. They produce and make each characteristic tea leaves, then there are many GYOKURO productions at each area of UJITAWARA, UJI-SHIRAKWA, KYO-TANABE and RYOTAN, KABUSE-CHA is at KAMO area, both of KABUSE-CHA & SENCHA are at WAZUKA area, and many of SENCHA are produced at MINAMI-YAMASHIRO & TAKAO. In places of surrounded Kyoto prefecture, ASAMIYA area of Shiga prefecture is famous as the producing place of good quality SENCHA. |
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Q.6-5 |
What is classification depending on the timing of tea leave picks? |
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A.6-5 |
The first picked tea just after new shoot comes (end of Apr. – middle of June) is “Ichiban (1st)-Cha”. After that there is also in case to clip (middle of June – early July) the largely grown tea leaves of remained “Ichiban-Cha”, they call it “Oyako” or “Karinaoshi”, it becomes the material for like as HOUJI-CHA. Then another new coming sprout after the above are picked (end of June – end of July) as “Niban (2nd)-Cha”. Although depends on the producing areas, there are also in case of picking until 3rd or 4th times, but it is the mass of the way to finish of pickings by “Niban (2nd)-Cha” in “UJI-CHA” case. |
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Q.6-6 |
What is classification on secondary processing? |
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A.6-6 |
Using the tea leaves which have once been completed as the product, further to blend with other materials than tea, or to roast it with strong fire, quite different relish of the tea will be created. As the typical teas are, we call GENMAI-CHA which is mixed with roasted rice, and we call HOUJI-CHA which is brownish tea leaves parched up until light burn. |
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Q.6-7 |
What is classification by the parts of tea leaves? |
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A.6-7 |
The Finished Tea is made from ARA-CHA through careful selection processing, and some parts of tea leaves which have been selected in that process depending on parts are classified and called as “Demono”. Among “Demono”, selected parts of stems only are called “Karigane”, or “Kuki-Cha”, “Bou-Cha” etc, its peculiar aroma and flavor are particularity, also the tea only with selected parts of curled sprout are called as “Me-Cha” or “Jin”. The tea powders made through finishing process are called as “Shitate-Ko” or “Kona-cha” and they are one of “Demono” as well. |
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Q.6-8 |
What is classification by the kind of breed? |
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A.6-8 |
There are many for the kinds of breed with Japanese Tea. The major breed for SENCHA is kinds of [Yabukita], the suitable kinds of breed for GYOKURO are [Gokou], [Samidori], [Komakake], etc. as the best breeds, each kind has different characteristics in the flavor and the aroma, etc. New kinds of breed as first like a [Saemidori] have been recently created many, and the suitable kind of tea breed are becoming to be chosen and used for required quality of the productions. |
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