Sasaraya is a long running Sayama tea farmer established in Edo era located in Miyadera in the city of Iruma where is close to Totoro’s forest. Miyadera has been known as one of the Sayama tea producing regions for many decades.
Here in Miyadera, we are not only growing the Sayama tea as products but also proposing how we can enjoy them at home.
Have a relaxing moment with a cup of the Sayama tea.
Have a relaxing moment with a cup of the Sayama tea.
Our missions
Our shop name “Sasaraya” comes from “Sasara housara”( means messy ) which used to be a dialect used in western part of Saitama.
A lot of knowledge and experience of the tea production we have inherited since Edo era.And next generation’s passion and advanced technology.
Co-existence of the tradition and the new innovation can create a brand new standard of the green tea industry.
Our name ”Sasaraya” express these principles and a hope to our future.
About the logo
Sasaraya’s logo design was inspired by our family crest which is sparrows and bamboos. A teapot and a cup are added as a part of the logo to make it look serene.
Why do we call ourselves "Sasaraya"?
About the logo
Sasaraya was established in January 2018 by the Nakamuras who have been running a green tea farm since Edo era.
The Nakamuras are one of the farmers based in Miyadera who supported to create prosperity of the Sayama tea industry. The first green tea trees were planted on the hill in the late 1700’s by Genzaemon and Genbe.
In 1802 when the Sayama tea industry was revived, the Nakamuras started to ship their Sayama tea to the city of Edo. In Meiji era, the business was taken over to the 3rd generation Yuemon, then to the 4th generation Mankichi in Taisho era.
fortunately the green tea farm survived from air strikes during the Warld WarⅡ.
During and after the WWⅡ, the 6th generation Yoshio made a challenge to expand the business such as farming vegetables, poultry raising and pig breeding. Up to this point, the Nakamuras were able to make a living by the family business.
Yoshio Nakamura
However, as Japan entered the high economic growth period, people’s life style dramatically changed. As a result, many farmers were struggled to make a living by what they had been doing for many decades.
Even the 7th generation Katsuo worked as a company employee and helped farm work only in busy season. The Nakamuras were no longer making profits as a green tea farmer.
In 2016, Yoshio who were taking a core role in the farm passed away. The Nakamuras held a family meeting to discuss issues regarding the Sayama tea farming as a business.
They reached a conclusion“It’s time to finish working as a tenant farmer. Find a new way of the Sayama tea industry and promote that into the sixth sector industrialization”
Also a Katuso’s son-in-low joined the project. The team agreed to make a new challenge to restart the Sayama tea farming as a family business
This is how Sasaraya was born as not only a green tea farmer, but also to introduce a new way of enjoying the Sayama tea.