the Ine Funaya area

Driving along the Sea of Japan in the Ine Funaya area 🚗³₃

Did you know that during the Edo period, this Tango region was renowned as a high-quality tea-producing district, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Uji? 🌿.∘

Back then, tea from this area was widely distributed as "Tango-cha" and was highly valued as a prestigious gift for the Shogunate ✨️ Historical records show that tea was cultivated right near Amanohashidate and throughout the surrounding mountains ✍️

Today, the area stretching from Amanohashidate to Fukuchiyama and Maizuru is home to "Ryotan-cha" 🍵

The misty basins and riverside terrain of this region are ideal for tea—the fog naturally concentrates the "umami" flavors while mellowing any bitterness. In recent years, the tea leaves from this area have earned high acclaim as the primary source for Uji Matcha, serving as a vital foundation for Kyoto's matcha culture 👏🏻

Tango, once a rival to Uji in tea production, has now evolved to become an essential part of the Uji tea brand, continuing to support Japan’s rich tea heritage from behind the scenes ☺️