Wakoen Tea Farm

One of Japan's largest family owned tea farms, the Horiguchi family has been operating since 1948 and currently manages 120 hectares directly with another 100 hectares cultivated by contract partner farms.

President Horiguchi Daisuke (left), and Chairman Horiguchi Yasuhisa (right).

About 2 decades ago, Yasuhisa Horiguchi noticed that using chemicals kill not only pest but also some natural part. He was struggling to find a way to grow tea, without using chemical everyday. One day, after a big typhoon, he realized that all the pests had disappeared, blown away by the wind. With that hint, he started to develop a machine focused on wind and water pressure.

Almost 10 years later, through failure after failure, he finally succeeded in creating the Hurricane King. This machine uses wind and water pressure to blow away pests allowing the company to avoid using pesticides. Today it still protects our tea garden.

There is even now a new machine called the Steam Buster SL that makes high temperature steam, using only water to prevent weeds from growing. In 2016, all those effort enabled us to acquired FSSC22000 certification. We have this world food safety standard certification from our own factory for the unrefined and refine tea and even the packaging, only few companies has both in Japan.

Company Info

• First established in 1948
• Operating under Wakohen Co., Ltd., and Kagoshima Horiguchi Seicha Co., Ltd.
• Full-time employees: 33, Part-time employees: 24.
• Location: 758 Futsuhara, Ariake-cho, Shibushi-shi, Kagoshima
• Official homepage: https://www.wakohen.co.jp/en

Hurricane King

View more videos from the farm on Youtube