Description
Coming from Minamata where terrible mercury pollution in the sea killed or disabled thousands of local people, Master Matsumoto believes that chemical farming is not an option for him and his family. Where he has broken new ground is by his decision to use no fertiliser not even organic versions as he believes that all fertilisers attract insects to plants. His delicious teas have confounded critics and made the possibility of tea farming with no or low amounts of fertiliser look possible.
Master Matsumoto studied tea agriculture in Makinohara but even then he was convinced tea could be grown without any additions. He also believes weeds have a vital role to play in improving the soil’s balance. His unusual traditional teas like his Kamairicha which he designed his own machine to fire, as well as innovations like this black tea which is different from the many other black teas coming out of Japan at the moment, have made him a leader of a small but significant tea movement.
