Aijiro established a tea business with his son and together they set their sights on producing Japanese tea that was organically grown and processed, tea that was so safe that their beloved family could drink it without any worry or fear of harm. First and foremost, the most important factor for tea making is to find outstanding soil. After months of persistent searching in Uji, they discovered the ideal location for growing high-quality tea while satisfying the conditions needed for organic farming.

One of the main deciding factors was presence of morning mist. This mist provides natural shade from the sun, enabling the tea leaves to produce higher levels of amino acids, the source of the tea’s umami, and chlorophyll, which is what gives Japanese tea its beautiful green color.

Secondly, the fields have steep slopes, which ensure the soil is well-drained and therefore suitable for tea cultivation. The slopes also allow for good air circulation, which helps to prevent pests damaging the leaves.

Thirdly, the location of tea fields, isolated from other non-organic fields, meant a reduced possibility of cross contamination from pesticides.

Eventually, the Nagatas were able to secure and develop an outstanding location for tea cultivation, blessed with soil of the quality required to produce delicious organic tea, and without any fear of contamination from less diligent neighbors.

Most tea farmers spray their plants with chemicals fifteen to twenty times a year, but Mitoku’s tea producer has rejected chemical agriculture completely. They do not use any animal manure, chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides, instead replenishing the nutrients in their topsoil with vegetable-derived compost only. Natural farming stresses the importance of building soil vitality by maintaining a semi-wild natural environment. Plants are not overly protected or pampered, but are instead allowed to fend for themselves with the help of a strong, balanced topsoil.

The Nagatas insist that it is not necessary to prune tea bushes uniformly, as is commonly done. Instead, they prefer to allow each bush to grow according to its own pattern. Although they harvest a little less tea than similar-sized farms that use chemical processes, their plants have far less mold and blight. Furthermore, their tea plants usually remain productive for twice as long as plants that have been chemically treated. Chemically treated tea plants generally burn themselves out in about twenty years, but organic plants typically remain productive for up to forty years, and some for even as long as one hundred years.

The Nagatas encountered many difficulties in developing nutritious compost that was pesticide-free, and they also struggled initially when their tea plants reacted poorly to organic farming. Despite these setbacks, they persevered, encouraged by the strength and resilience of the tea plants that managed to thrive. Their effort was eventually rewarded with the tea garden’s first spring harvest.

While this first crop did not yield a large volume, the tea leaves they were able to harvest had an overwhelming vitality in aroma and taste.

In this way, the Nagatas were able to establish themselves as organic tea farmers, despite this being a rarity at the time. Their endeavors were the polar opposite of the growing trend towards industrialized mass production.

Today, Mitoku’s tea—made by the third generation with the very same passion and perseverance shown by founder Aijiro—is highly praised throughout Japan and beyond. The Nagata family continue to make tea that can be enjoyed without any concerns over quality or the presence of pesticides.