Assistant Supervisor Weblog by Sarah [2023.09月 – 2024.09月]

One yr as an Assistant Supervisor at Obubu

みなさん こんにちわ!

That is Sarah and, along with Pau, I joined Obubu as an Assistant Supervisor in September 2023. It’s now the top of my program, and I want to give a short abstract of how unimaginable this yr at Obubu has been. Following on my earlier weblog posts, I’ll attempt to narrate a bit about every season by the flowers and vegetation which have caught my consideration. So, let’s go collectively on this journey again in time, ranging from September 2023. 

I arrived at Obubu with the fading of the summer time warmth. Higanbana had been sprouting, masking Wazuka in a purple cape. I met Pau, and we quickly began sharing books and tea. 

One core reminiscence from final Autumn is of when the earlier intern Katrina, Pau and I had been sitting across the kotatsu in Obubu Home, sending every others papers and e-book titles on tea, whereas Katrina brewed Pu’er tea.

We began trimming, then it was time to reap.

After my coaching, I began processing leaves from Aoimori tea discipline. That tea we processed final Autumn will turn out to be Hojicha Cooking Powder. The leaves had been robust and laborious to form into needles, however I attempted my greatest to find out how the machines work, and the way the leaves behave all through the processing, to be prepared for the spring processing.

My favorite process was carrying the harvesting machines. The interns had been tremendous motivated and spending the time within the discipline with them was like a day of journey, with the great reward of tea throughout the breaks. 

I began getting used to driving within the tiny and curvy roads in direction of the tea fields. 

On this interval, throughout the days off, I additionally bought to journey round, visiting with Pau and the interns the pottery cities of Tokoname (throughout a competition), Iga and Shigaraki.

Leaves of momiji began changing into orange and Miwako, Jean and I went strolling with the little canine Sakura-chan round Wazuka. The identical day, we joined the Wazuka’s tea competition. This was a superb likelihood to find extra concerning the forms of tea made within the space and meet the tea farmers from city. We bought to strive so many scrumptious teas! 

My challenge at the moment was to prepare the services of Obubu, specifically the second ground of the Hojicha Manufacturing unit. We additionally reorganized objects into the newly constructed second ground of the sencha manufacturing unit, the place we additionally constructed tables and chairs.

Jean, Pau and I additionally organised “Tea lounges”, night discussions on matters we get pleasure from sharing about. Jean shared his information and expertise on Nepalese teas, Pau mentioned the deep and complex historical past of kamairicha and tamaryokucha, whereas I coated the historical past of tea within the relationships between the British Empire, China and Assam.

Winter: The Manryo Plant colors the city in purple, nature is silent.

Because the leaves began falling, harvest ended, and life grew to become quieter.

December was chilly, however we warmed up inside. We targeted on building work and schooling.

Jean, Pau and I labored on the Assistant Supervisor Training program (AME), learning, studying and condensating the data in a set of 14 shows. We additionally carried out the take a look at runs of the occasions and workshops in collaboration with native artisans that we began internet hosting from March. We pounded mochi, formed wagashi and rolled clay. Workplace work, apart from AME and the traditional actions of intern coordination and tea tourism, has primarily consisted for me in working with Idemasa-san to place up the wagashi workshop. 

After which, building occurred. We insulated and constructed the partitions of the second ground manufacturing unit, shifting furnishings to rework it right into a group area to host occasions. We lastly began utilizing that area for the tea-tour lunch, in order that friends may get pleasure from their time gazing on the Wazuka mountains from the brand new massive window. 

There was a Chakabuki (tea tasting competitors) within the Wazuka group middle, hosted by Akky-san, and Jean received third place. We additionally organised Chakabuki at Obubu, and Akky-san invited some tea farmers buddies. After all we didn’t stand an opportunity to win in opposition to them, or to even be a good comparability, lol.

In January, I went visiting Ikedoki for a number of days. Throughout our tea tour we frequently point out our “sister firm” and I used to be very curious to see it with my very own eyes. Marjoleen and Matsu-san gave me the warmest welcome in Igashi-Sonogi. Marjoleen drove me round to discover the realm, and I may see the ocean showing on the horizon whereas standing within the tea fields. 

In the direction of the top of winter I additionally joined Kayo-san and George on a visit to Shizuoka, to fulfill the producer of the Chabako that we use on our tea excursions.

Again in Wazuka, the entire workforce went to Aoimori tea discipline to reap for Kyobancha. 

Earlier than the beginning of the busy Spring season, I went with my co-intern Jia En, who got here again to go to, and the intern Kia to Toshi-san mochi manufacturing unit. We tried our greatest to make ichigo daifuku, and bought to get pleasure from them with tea at Obubu.

Spring: The Sakura shortly fall, however the Wisteria cheers us up.

The Spring began with a giant celebration: Obubu has been right here for 20 years, and we celebrated it with earlier interns and tea membership members that joined us for the day. My co-interns and buddies from the time of my internship got here again to Obubu, and Obubu felt much more like “dwelling” than it does already.

The times began getting longer and hotter. 

We waved probably the most heartfelt “see you quickly” to my senpai Jean. Then, the spring harvest began. 

Mac and Alix joined the Assistant Supervisor workforce, and shortly they discovered themselves harvesting with Akky-san, and guiding friends on tea tour. All of us had been very busy, however most interns nonetheless had the vitality to journey within the weekends to gaze on the blooming sakura bushes. Within the free time, interns and assistant managers additionally additionally collected a number of the new shoots of springs for some further tea-making experiments. I, as an illustration, made some white tea.

I processed Gyokuro with Miwako. That day, one of many rolling machine began performing up, and we needed to look ahead to restore. Within the meantime we couldn’t cease the method, and Akky-san, Hiro-san and Miwako shortly discovered another strategy to not skip the rough-rolling, however to do it with a special machine. Furthermore, the temperature and humidity throughout the day saved altering, affecting the state of the leaves. So, we needed to always modify and regulate the machines to match the present state of the leaves. It was an intense afternoon, however I discovered a lot, and we made tea!!! Seeing the leaves reworking from plant to brewed tea is without doubt one of the most magical experiences! 

Then, the wisteria coated the edges of the mountains round Wazuka, and the tencha harvest began. When bringing the luggage crammed with contemporary leaves to the tencha manufacturing unit, we had been at all times welcomed with a smile, and on the most popular days, with a bottle of mineral drink.

Within the evenings, tea events grew to become a behavior. We introduced tea events to the subsequent degree, with earlier intern Patrick double pouring tea on the rhythm of dance-pop music from the 2000s. 

For 3 Sundays in a row I bought the prospect to spend the mornings within the tea fields and hand-pick tea whereas assembly farmers from Wazuka. The primary Sunday was the yearly hand-rolling occasion organized by the Wazuka Hand-rolling Preservation Society. The second week, George, Alix and I hand-picked Tencha with the Wazuka farmer Yohe-san. The third week, I joined Pau and his tea-ceremony buddies to handpick tea with the farmer Morisaki-san. These had been all distinctive likelihood to be taught extra about tea, and about Wazuka!

Summer time: Hydrangea to gaze upon, till the rice grows yellow

The wet season arrived late. When it lastly arrived, it refreshed the air sufficient for us to do some deep slicing of the tea vegetation. The rice paddies had been coated in water and the brand new rice planted. 

On a few wet summers, I organised a Chakabuki in Hojicha Home, as an excuse to drink the tea collectively whereas the rain poured outdoors.

Then, the stronger warmth reached Wazuka, and the summer time harvest began and completed in a flash. The rice was now rising inexperienced. Within the evenings, we grilled corn on the cob, watched films whereas making puzzles, had tea tasting and board video games. 

I had some days off, and I travelled to Shikoku. I visited some bigger cities, but in addition bought pleasantly misplaced in smaller cities. My favorite journey was in Kamikatsu, a small city the place Awabancha tea is made. I met Kenji-san, a trainer from Kyoto that selected to maneuver to Kamikatsu to be a tea farmer and to make Awabancha. 

I got here again to Wazuka. It was now time to make black tea. Interns and Assistant Managers went collectively to reap tea in Aoimori. Every intern and workers processed from 20 to 30 kg of contemporary leaves into black tea, adjusting the processing primarily based on their instinct. I known as my batch “Rain of Summer time”, as a storm arrived whereas I used to be attempting to wither my tea outside. 

At Obubu we begin the tea tour sharing the proverb “Ichi go Ichi e”, translating to “one second one encounter”, which is an invite to embrace the second. You is perhaps drained after a day of trimming at Jinja tea discipline, after harvesting at Aoimori, or after internet hosting a tea tour, however you’ll nonetheless really feel that that has been the most effective day of your life to date! That to me is the sense of “Ichigo Ichi e”. It’s like spending an entire day within the manufacturing unit rolling your black tea, it’s evening already, however you continue to get to be moved by the truth that the tea that you simply harvested the day earlier than is now smelling of inexperienced apple and cocoa.

The rice saved rising and it’s now turning yellow. It’s the similar color of once I first arrived. Plainly one yr has handed, and the time to say goodbye is approaching. 

To the entire interns I bought to fulfill this yr, it has been an honour to be a part of your Obubu expertise! You all introduced slightly little bit of your self to Obubu, and added a brick to what Obubu is, even for those who may not concentrate on it. And attending to know and to be taught from you was a honour. Thanks Lukas, Maren, Julien, David, Elvira, Cameron, Gabrielle, Emma, Jason, Chris, Kia, Jen, Lana, Miko, Nathan, Kali, Patrick, Jordan, Amanda, Spencer, Until, Jocelyn, Noe, and Jason.

Till subsequent time, have a brew-tea-ful time!

Sarah