At the Edge of Kyushu: Visiting Shuichiro Sakamoto Before the 2026 Harvest

Written by: Kettl Team

April 29, 2026

Time to read 3 min

Two weeks ago, members of our New York and Fukuoka offices traveled to the southern tip of Japan to visit Shuichiro Sakamoto, one of Kettl’s newest partners, ahead of his 2026 harvest. Despite being a newer representative in our catalog, Sakamoto-san has become one of our closest collaborators, showcasing the expressive teas of southern Kyushu and a masterful approach to regenerative, organic farming. It was a pleasure to spend the afternoon with him, touring his property and drinking tea. One of Kettl’s longest-standing employees and our director of supply chain, Miles Dugan, wrote about his experience in Shibushi, and the incredible work that Sakamoto-san is doing. Photos by Christopher Malarick.

Shuichiro Sakamoto’s farm is located in the northern hills of Shibushi, Kagoshima, about a 90-minute drive from Kagoshima city. On clear days, you can glimpse the imposing bulk of Mount Sakurajima in Kagoshima Bay, the active volcano that gives the region its famously fertile soil. Sakamoto-san’s deep knowledge of and relationship with this soil enable him to create some of the best organic gyokuro and matcha in Japan. In the 40 years since he transitioned his family’s farm to organic growing techniques, he has developed a regenerative and plant-forward approach to making tea, which yields not only healthy plants but also full-bodied, complex gyokuro and matcha that tastes like no one else’s.

Shuichiro Sakamoto and Miles Dugan in tea field

We visited his farm in early April, just two days before he was to begin harvesting the first tea field of the season. Despite this being the busiest and most stressful time of the year for tea farms (especially Sakamoto san, as he only harvests once per year to allow the tea plants to retain as much strength and nutrients as possible), he was a gracious and generous host, showing us several different tea fields, his fertilizer, and his factory. As we examined the Shinme (new tea shoots), slightly tacky as you run your hands across the leaves (an indicator of good tea, as it means that the plant has denser cells and high levels of nutrients and active compounds), Sakamoto san’s deep knowledge and passion were evident. He was animated as he explained how he built his custom shading poles to protect the plants against damage, and as he drove a bamboo stake astonishingly far into the soil to demonstrate its softness and health.

He is also very proud of his Bokashi fertilizer, developed and perfected over 40 years. In the beginning, he explained, there were no organic fertilizers available, and his only option was to make his own using only organic, digestible materials from local farms and fisheries. Today, his fertilizer contains, among other natural ingredients, corn, rye, barley, soybean cakes, koji, and fish meal, and has a pleasant earthy smell similar to miso or soy sauce. Sakamoto-san fertilizes primarily after the harvest, when he prunes back the branches of his tea plants, letting the trimmings fall to the ground to be broken down with the fertilizer, utilizing a fully regenerative approach—what came from the earth returns back to it.

Sakamoto-san’s farm is unusual in that he also completes the aracha (crude tea) and shiagecha (finished tea) processes on site (including matcha milling), making the farm integrated from fertilizer to packaging the finished product.

He has complete control over every step of the process. The factory, which was being cleaned in preparation for the new harvest, is efficient and modern. Sakamoto-san walked us through the processing and separating out the gyokuro from the karigane (stem tea), which are the only two types of leaf tea he produces. The final step in the production process, the hiire roast to finish drying and impart a slight toasted aroma, is also one of the most difficult. Sakamoto-san carefully monitors the temperature before immediately packing and sealing, leaving a small amount of oxygen in the bag to allow the aroma to permeate and the tea to develop slowly while resting. The resulting tea has all the hallmark characteristics of high-quality gyokuro, with a rich mouthfeel, round umami, and little to no astringency. His teas, however, are distinct in their profile, presenting a refined florality that floats above the sweet and savory base these tea styles are known for. His Saemidori matcha may be the most unique offering in our catalog, with an expressive jasmine-like fragrance. To achieve this profile using only organic farming methods is a testament to Sakamoto-san’s skill and stewardship of his plants.