Nishio: Whisking up the Global Matcha Boom - Journeys in Japan | NHK WORLD-JAPAN

The city of Nishio lies in the Mikawa district of Aichi Prefecture, central Japan. Thanks to the elegance of its traditional architecture, the town has been nicknamed the "Little Kyoto of the Mikawa area." Nishio is one of the largest producers of matcha in Japan, and tea is widely grown across the city. There are many tea houses that serve matcha and also offer sweets made from the powdered green tea. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, Elisabeth Llopis soaks in Nishio's deep culture of matcha, samples other delicacies such as unagi (freshwater eel), and visits an island that has become known for its arts and crafts.

Nishio has close to 200 hectares of tea plantations, and 98 percent of the leaves harvested there are prepared as tencha, the raw material for grinding into matcha. During the tea harvest in May, many people can be seen picking the fresh tea leaves. Special events are also held at that time of year.

In feudal times, this was the site of Nishio Castle, the seat of the rulers of the Nishio Domain. As well as the partially reconstructed castle, the park showcases a Kyoto-style garden. Visitors can also sip on matcha as they view the castle from a traditional villa that formerly stood in Kyoto.

This small island in the middle of Mikawa Bay is home to around 170 people. It has gained popularity in recent years as an "art island," with more than 20 installations to be found there. Ferries to Sakushima leave from Isshiki Port in Nishio City; the crossing takes about 20 minutes.

From Tokyo, the Shinkansen takes one hour 40 minutes to Nagoya. From there, you transfer to the local Meitetsu line and you will reach Nishio in 50 minutes.

Matcha, Japanese powdered green tea.

She's here to discover all that Nishio has to offer.

and I'm really excited to explore what the city has to offer.

I've got it. I've got it! I've got it! No!

to soak in the deep culture of matcha.

in the southern part of Aichi Prefecture.

Back in the day, Nishio developed as a castle town.

that befit its nickname, the "Little Kyoto of the Mikawa district."

A narrow alley tucked between temples.

Wow, my excitement for this journey is definitely growing.

It's a very charming castle and yet has a real presence.

This villa formerly belonged to a court noble in Kyoto.

Later it was moved to these castle precincts.

And now it's a place where visitors can relax over a bowl of matcha.

Of course, this city is all about matcha.

Nishio City is one of Japan's most important matcha-producing regions.

These are all tea fields, but they are covered with black sheets.

It's a little bit different from the typical Japanese tea fields, isn't it?

to shade them from direct sunlight.

In Japanese, this is known as "hachijuhachiya."

It's so lively here. It's like a festival or something.

as they pick the first young tea leaves by hand.

Visitors can try their hand at tea-picking here.

pick the new shoots without leaving any.

Like this? OK. And I put them in here?

During this season we spend all day picking.

- It's such a lovely aroma, isn't it? - It smells so fresh.

It's a very relaxing experience, I must say.

I like the connection between the nature and this calming experience.

All of them get to experience the tea harvest.

At this point, the tea is known as "tencha," the base material for matcha.

This producer has been in business for over 100 years.

It seems that we can tour inside the factory. Let's find out.

- Wow! What are those? - They're stone mills.

They're traditional tools from the old days.

The leaf tea used for matcha is called tencha.

The ground tencha becomes matcha powder.

You keep them running all the time?

Demand is so strong, we grind the matcha around the clock.

Otherwise we can't keep up with demand.

There's even an area where visitors can make their own matcha.

I'm using both hands, but it's heavy.

It's pretty bitter, yet fresh and it's smooth at the end.

- The aroma is great. - And the color, too.

using a traditional tool called a "chasen."

It's looking good. It's starting to foam.

and then yet, it has a smooth taste and very creamy.

a thicker, more concentrated version known as "koicha."

For koicha, we use twice as much matcha and half the amount of water.

The color is very different. And it looks creamy.

and then here it's even creamier than the "usuicha."

Here in Nishio, there are many other ways of enjoying matcha.

Being here, soaking in a matcha bath is just heaven.

I feel like I can be here all the day.

Elisabeth has arrived at her accommodation for the night.

It's a refurbished traditional townhouse.

- You must be Elisabeth. - Yes, I am.

- Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you too.

Thank you so much for coming, welcome.

It's really wonderful, like it's just like a very traditional Japanese style.

Absolutely, this is where an almost 100-year-old lady used to live.

- Hundred years old? - So, it makes sense to feel this traditional.

So, I feel right now, it's a Japanese home.

Only one group can stay here at a time.

90% of his guests have been visitors from other countries.

And this is the official entrance of the tearoom.

Wow, this is a real authentic Japanese tearoom.

the traditional art of preparing tea to welcome guests.

OK, and then pour some back in it to appreciate the sound.

Yeah, first slowly and then a little faster.

Circle it and slowly you pull it and leave it on.

so that the design moves and faces the other side and drink it.

And you made it yourself so it's even better.

- Can I have another? - Yes, you can finish it.

When he's free, Komura is also happy to show his guests around Nishio.

- This is my favorite matcha place. - No way?

This is Mr. Akahori, this is Ms. Akahori.

and run this matcha shop, matcha cafe as well.

Akahori Masamitsu is a fifth-generation tea farmer.

Over the years he has introduced various new ideas for promoting matcha.

where he serves confections made with his matcha.

It's matcha with "warabi mochi" jelly.

It looks smooth and creamy. Beautiful!

With a lovely matcha aroma. Delicious!

The matcha cream goes equally well with sweet red bean paste on the waffle.

Red beans with the waffle is a great combination.

where they can pick the tea leaves.

He also arranges tours of his production facility.

The leaves are so shiny and beautiful!

to promote the popularity of matcha.

to know about matcha and to visit Nishio.

Well, it was really relaxing. I had a really good sleep.

- Oh, that's very nice to hear. - Thank you so much, yeah.

Yeah, I hope to see you soon. Bye-bye!

- Yeah, see you soon. Bye-bye. - Bye!

Today, Elisabeth has come to discover another of Nishio's specialties.

This is it. This is what I was looking for.

Freshwater eels. They're farmed right here, in the city's Isshikicho district.

Since the old days they've been eaten in Japan as a source of strength and stamina.

This is a collection point for farmed eels.

and also by how they feel in their hands.

Eels have been raised here for more than 100 years.

Now, 20% of all the eels produced in Japan come from this area.

The tastiest eels are those with bluish backs.

with a distinct border between them.

Those are the features of a rich, tasty eel.

I think I've got it. I've got it! I've got it! No!

Nishio has its own way of preparing "unagi" eel.

two Nishio specialties in one meal.

Mix it up well, then scoop enough to fill your bowl.

This first... mix the tea leaves with the rice and the unagi.

and then add wasabi and dashi stock.

- Then, pour in some of the dashi. - How much?

it enhances the flavor of the tencha and the eel.

I love it! I've never had also two flavors in one dish,

There's one more place Elisabeth wants to visit before leaving Nishio.

that has been getting very popular in recent years.

There's a very unique island in Nishio. Let's go there!

Sakushima is a remote island in the middle of Mikawa Bay.

but now the island is starting to attract people from out of town.

Many visitors come to wander through these atmospheric alleys.

to protect the wood from the salty sea breeze.

This winding path looks like a maze.

It's like I'm in an exploration team or something like that.

I think that I've found something interesting here, close to the beach.

efforts have been made to revitalize Sakushima through art.

I guess that the idea is to get inside.

At first, I thought it was a real flock of seagulls, but it's not.

What a clever and most creative piece of art.

Oh, thank you. They are all stuff that I've made myself.

and my main job is making like utensils for the tea ceremony.

OK, that's amazing. So, my name is Elisabeth.

- Elisabeth. Lee. - You can call me Elly.

Lee Oliver is a craftsman specializing in tea ceremony utensils.

The majority of things... like, all of these are "chashaku."

All the stuff that I've made myself.

All of the bamboo pieces are all made from bamboo from the island.

Oh, from the island? So, it's very local.

because Sakushima just has so much stuff.

and then these are from a sakura tree that fell down last year.

Look at that. It's very unique, I feel.

It's a tea bowl made from Sakushima bamboo root.

I'm really looking forward to tasting with this bowl, the matcha.

in this very, very nice and gorgeous shop that you have here.

I feel very lucky to just enjoy the time.

Yeah, yeah it was lovely having you, I'd love to have you back as well.

Next time maybe we can do a tea ceremony and use the tearoom.

from the rich tea culture in Nishio to the tranquil airs of Sakushima.

I have learned so much about matcha, about the people and the local traditions.

From Tokyo, the Shinkansen takes an hour and 40 minutes to Nagoya.

and you will reach Nishio in 50 minutes.