Everyone tried to warn me about the Japanese summer and every time I would respond with confidence: “I am from Italy, I will be fine”.
It was not.
Summer has always been the strangest period of the year, full of very high ups and very low downs and…this year also was no different! Still, summer remains my favourite season; it never fails to make me feel alive and full of energy and creativity.
At Obubu, summer has been a very devisive season, from not-so-pleasant hot farming days to the sweetest cups of tea during a sunset on Tenku. These swings brought me so many dear memories!
With summer being the “breaking point,” it is also the time when you realize that the time on the farm is slowly going towards the end, so it was a very nostalgic and chotto sad period of the program for me. I found myself looking back at moments and pictures of all these months at Obubu most of the time, and I couldn’t help but be deeply sad for some time!
BUT, on a much sweeter note, the slower pace of summer harvest and tourism activities allowed us to fully savor every cup and moment we shared. Especially after a busy period, being able to take a moment to appreciate the small pleasures of everyday life is the most precious activity I have conducted during these months.
Despite the hot and humid weather, Summer harvest was one of the most enjoyable ones! We were chatting, drinking a lot of cold brews and enjoying the occasional breeze that the weather was giving us from time to time, while having a slower pace compared to Spring harvest.
During the time in the office, we attended the Assistant Manager Education (AME) sessions, where we explored in detail many different aspects of Japanese Tea and Obubu teas, from its Processing to History and Chemistry! It was definitely one of the most enriching experiences: we had time to navigate Tea as a core product in Japan and how it shapes the economy, culture and tradition of an entire country. It was a precious time to realise how this product is more than just an infusion: it embodies the life of Japanese people and bonds them through time.
Summer still remains my favourite season especially because in Japan it means a lot of Matsuri 祭り(Summer Festival) and Hanabi 花火 (Fireworks). Despite having seen different ones around the area, the most dear to me were the Kizu and Wazuka Matsuri, with a more local and authentic soul.
Finally, we ended the season with the most unique time on the farm: we spent three days making our very own batch of Wakoucha, Japanese Black Tea, from field to cup. We harvested Okumidori leaves from Aoimori, our Natural field, and enjoyed being Akky-san for a day, learning how to drive the harvesting machine and planning the entire process.
Making my tea was such an “ichi-go ichi-e” moment at Obubu, and I honestly barely have any words to describe it: very hot days with very little sleep, but full of laughter and companionship, with a very pleasant sensation of gratitude and fulfillment for this incredible journey.
It’s getting more and more difficult to say goodbye, but we still have a couple of Chapters before the end, filled with even more tea adventures!