The Background Behind the Birth of Hiroshima Native Coastal Tea
The Inspiration Behind Hamacha: Debera
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Hiroshima Native Coastal Tea has been one of TEA FACTORY GEN's signature teas since the company was founded in 2016.
At the time, I was searching for a tea that could truly represent Hiroshima. The inspiration came from a winter scene in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, where our shop is located. I noticed thin fish hanging out to dry. They were debera, a local fish that has been traditionally made since the Edo period by naturally drying it in the sea breeze for about five days.
When I asked a fisherman who lived nearby about the process, he told me, “When you dry it in the sea breeze, the sweetness becomes more concentrated and it also takes on a salty flavor. That's what makes it good.”
Those words sparked an idea. I wondered whether tea might also become something interesting if it were dried in the sea breeze. That was the beginning of Hamacha.
The Origin of the Name “Hamacha”
At first, we considered several possible names such as Shima-cha (island tea) or Shio-cha (salt tea). In the Onomichi area, the seaside is traditionally referred to as “hama” (beach), and during the Edo period, salt production was also thriving. Wealthy salt merchants in that era were even called hamadanna (“beach lords”).
After considering these local associations, we ultimately decided to name it Hamacha.
However, we later learned that in northern Hiroshima and parts of Shimane, “hamacha” is commonly used to refer to tea made from kawarakezumai (a leguminous plant). It turns out that in those regions, this plant-based tea is traditionally called “hamacha.”
A Series of Failures
Of course, things did not go smoothly from the beginning.
Even before exposing the tea to the sea breeze, I faced a basic problem: I had no suitable place to dry it. As a first attempt, I spread a blue tarp on a beach in Mukaishima, Onomichi, and laid the tea out to dry.
A few hours later, I discovered that the tea was covered in sand.
Needless to say, all of the Hamacha produced that year had to be discarded. With great disappointment, I returned it to the tea fields.
The following year of harvest, we once again faced the problem of having no place to dry the tea. At that time, the head of the Onomichi Fisheries Cooperative happened to own a yakatabune (a traditional houseboat) and kindly offered us its roof for use. We immediately began drying the freshly picked tea leaves on top of it.
As we checked on the tea each day, we noticed that the amount of leaves was gradually decreasing. Strong winds were blowing the leaves away, and they were drifting into the sea like bait fluttering in the air.
In addition, because we had placed too many leaves on a limited surface area, heat and moisture accumulated in the lower layers, causing mold to develop. That year as well, we were forced to discard the entire batch.
Eventually, we were introduced by a lemon farmer to a large site on Ikuchijima, close to the sea, where sand would not enter and the leaves would not be blown away. This location became the established site for producing Hamacha.
Raw Materials of Hamacha
The tea used as the raw material for Hamacha is bancha. We use indigenous tea plants that are 60 to 70 years old, grown without fertilizer or pesticides. Bancha refers to leaves that have grown large after the new buds have expanded.
In Sera, Hiroshima Prefecture, we were told by local elders that after harvesting tea, it was once pan-fired and then hand-rolled on straw mats to make tea. The Chūgoku–Shikoku region has long been a production area for many types of bancha. Hiroshima produces Kan-bancha, Okayama produces Mimasaka bancha, Tokushima produces Awa bancha, and Ehime produces Ishizuchi Kurocha. It is a fascinating region where many local bancha traditions coexist.
How Hamacha Is Made
At the end of March, the entire tea plant—branches and leaves—is harvested after winter dormancy. It is then transported to Setoda on Ikuchijima and sun-dried for about 7 to 10 days. The leaves start out green, but gradually turn reddish under the sun, developing complex acidity and aroma.
Before rain, the leaves are brought indoors each time, and when the weather clears, they are placed back in the sun again. In spring 2024, there was a great deal of rain, and drying did not progress easily, so we spent nearly 10 days constantly monitoring and adjusting the drying process.
After sun-drying, the tea is lightly roasted at a tea factory. The branches and leaves are then cut, and finally sifted to remove powder before finishing.
What Makes Hamacha Special
浜茶が凄いところは、お茶を揉んだり、乾燥させる際に全く化石燃料を使わないところです。お茶を作る上で多用する化石燃料は重油、ガス、電気です。皆様が思っている以上に環境に負担をかけてお茶は作られています。お茶に限らずともどのような加工品であれ同じような状況であると考えられます。ただ浜茶を作る際に使うエネルギーは90パーセント太陽光。浜茶はほとんどお天道様の力だけで作り出しており、サステナブルやSDGsと世間が騒ぐ前から行っている極めてシンプルな作り方が凄いと思っています。
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