SHIZUOKA -- The season's first trading in newly picked tea leaves from Shizuoka Prefecture has taken place at a market in Aoi Ward, Shizuoka.
Saemidori tea leaves were in the spotlight Wednesday, traded at 1.09 million yen per kilogram, the highest price since the market first opened in 1956. They were grown by Katsuhiko Watanabe, 46, of Fujinomiya in the prefecture, and rubbed by hand by about 10 local residents.
Only one kilogram of the product was shipped, bought by tea company Fujinomiya Fujisan Seicha Co. in the same city.
Last year, Watanabe shipped tea leaves priced at 1.08 million yen per kilogram, a figure set after "chaju," which literally means "celebrating a 108-year-old."
"This year, I set the price in the hope of having a life longer by one year," Watanabe said. "[The product] has a rich aroma and mild flavor."
The leaves were bought by Takashi Doi, 40. Doi said they are a high-quality product, as the leaves were picked and rubbed by hand and processed with delicate care. "I hope to boost the tea industry and promote Shizuoka tea through this cheerful topic," he added.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
