Sayama Tea Yokotaen

"Tobu Yokotaen Ltd." — which operates Yokotaen — is a tea farm and shop performing Sayama tea cultivation, manufacturing, and sales in Sawa, Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture. With a tea garden scale of about 2.3 hectares — by no means large — to respond to the thought of "I want to drink this tea, made by this person, from this tea field," the farm has continued integrated Sayama tea making from production to sales.

The current 5th-generation representative, Yasuhiro Yokota, has actively promoted new initiatives since starting farming — introducing riding-type management machines, variety-specific manufacturing and sales, and functional tea cultivation and manufacturing. Currently, the 6th-generation Takahiro Yokota has joined — advancing tea processing that draws out potential by tea tree variety and developing new genres such as black tea and guri-cha.

"Sayama tea" is one of Japan's three great teas — where sweetness and umami are accumulated in tea leaves by enduring cold winters, and the unique "Sayama hi-ire (firing)" makes toasty fire aroma and deep richness stand out. At Yokotaen, while protecting the appeal of this Sayama tea, the farm performs blending and hi-ire firing leveraging each variety's individuality and aroma — working on product making that meets a wide range of needs, from daily tea to gift use.

Sayama tea making integrated from tea field to manufacturing and sales

Yokotaen handles "in-house cultivation, processing, and sales" integrated production — cultivating tea trees in tea fields in Sawa, Sayama City, processing tea at the in-house factory, and selling at the store and online shop. The farm cherishes the "original taste of tea" that can only be delivered precisely because of integration from production area to producer to manufacturing process.

Deep richness born from 12 varieties of tea trees and "Sayama hi-ire (firing)"

Yabukita, Sawanomidori, Yumewakaba, Harumidori, Magatama, Okumidori, Okuharuka — Yokotaen currently cultivates over 12 varieties of tea trees. By adjusting cultivation, tea processing, and hi-ire firing to match each individuality, the farm draws out the sweet, rich flavor and toasty fire aroma unique to Sayama tea.

Challenge to new Sayama tea — including original variety "S7"

Not stopping at conventional Sayama tea, the farm actively takes on new tea making — black tea using the in-house original variety "S7," guri-cha, kettle-roasted tea, and functional teas. Proposing Sayama tea with unprecedented individuality — such as black tea with aromas reminiscent of gardenia and honey — the farm has also raised evaluation at contests in Japan and abroad.