IB Course Year 2 students, Yumi Tateguchi and Chika Yamamoto, participated in a tea-picking experience in Wazuka Town on May 2 and attended the Wazuka Town New Tea PR Event held at RIHGA Royal Hotel Kyoto on May 3. Inspired by a tea-picking activity they experienced during integrated studies in junior high school, the students wanted to deepen their understanding of Uji tea.

This activity was made possible with the support of the Community Development Support Division of the Wazuka Town Office. Located in the southern part of Kyoto Prefecture, Wazuka Town is known as one of the main production areas of “Uji tea.” It accounts for approximately half of Kyoto Prefecture’s tea production and is recognized as one of Japan’s leading tea-producing regions.

On the day of the tea-picking experience, around 100 tea pickers from across Japan gathered and carefully picked fresh tea leaves one by one starting from 7:00 a.m. Working in the sloped tea fields required far more physical strength than expected, allowing the students to realize the challenges involved in tea production. They also learned that because the growth and position of new leaves differ from tree to tree, tea picking is a delicate task that cannot easily be replaced by machines.

Furthermore, the students experienced the “Isshin Niyō” method, in which only the bud and the two leaves beneath it are picked. Through this, they learned that high-quality tea is supported by careful manual work.

Wazuka Town is also facing a shortage of tea pickers, and the volunteer IB students, including Tateguchi and Yamamoto, worked earnestly while appreciating the beauty of the fresh green leaves and the fragrance spreading throughout the tea fields.

At the Wazuka Town New Tea PR Event, the students served freshly harvested tea to visitors while introducing the attractions of Wazuka Town in both Japanese and English. Visitors commented that the tea was “delicious” and “sweet,” making the experience a valuable opportunity for the students to share the appeal of the local community.

At the same time, the event also became an opportunity for the students to consider “how to communicate the魅力 of a region more effectively,” deepening their understanding of regional culture and methods of promoting it.

“Through this experience, we learned not only about the value of tea production, but also about both the difficulty and the reward of sharing its appeal with others. We hope to continue making use of this experience to deepen our understanding of Wazuka Town and Uji tea, and to share their魅力 with even more people in the future. Despite this being the busiest season for tea picking, we are truly grateful for the opportunity to participate in such a valuable experience.”