Obubu Tea Club – a community supported agriculture program – is our way to create strong bonds between our Tea Farms and Tea Lovers!
Discover Obubu Tea Club, become a Tea Farm Owner!
The Obubu Tea Club, founded in 2008, has over 500 members globally. Joining the club grants you honorary ownership of a tea farm in a historical tea-growing region, Wazuka, renowned for its high-quality and respected tea in Japan. You’ll receive authentic Japanese teas to your home throughout the year.
What is included in the Obubu Tea Club?
- Fresh high-quality Japanese tea – To reflect on tea harvesting seasons, direct from source and freshly made tea will be sent to you four times per year: March, May, September, December. It is easy to share it and enjoy with your family and friends.
- Wide variety — Discover the rich tapestry of flavours Japanese tea has to offer, from Gyokuro to Hojicha, including rare Black and Oolong teas. We occasionally introduce teas from other regions and farmers.
- Your support for Sustainable Tea Farming — Your membership directly contributes to the preservation of traditional Japanese tea farming, supporting small-scale farmers and sustainable agricultural practices in Wazuka.
- Honorary ownership of a tea farm — After 1 year of membership, your name will be added to the Tea Farm Owner’s Board on our tea farm. You will be able to say that you have a tea farm in Wazuka, Kyoto.
- Fun seasonal events — Advanced invitation to tea planting, tea picking, as well as other tea events around the world.
- Global Shipping — To most countries directly from Japan at no extra cost.
- Special Member Discounts — Enjoy exclusive discounts on additional tea purchases, merchandise, and special tea experiences available only to Obubu Tea Club members.
A membership (Tea)lored for you
Obubu Supporter
- 1,500¥ per month
- Members only discounts
- Digital newsletter
- Advanced invitation to events
- We will love you forever!
One Season
- 3,000¥ per month for international
- 5,000¥ per month for the USA (to learn about the price difference, please read the Q&A section below)
- Members only discounts
- Obubu Supporter perks
- A Tea Club box shipped four times per year inlcuding:
- 2–3 bags of our seasonal teas packed in retails size bags, for long-term enjoyment.
- 2–3 bags of our seasonal teas packed in multiple bags of 5g. Ideal for sharing with friends and family, traveling, bringing to the office etc.
- The occasional guest tea from other farms and prefectures.
- Special seasonal items
- Printed magazine
More in detail information on the different memberships can be found in the Q&A section at the bottom of the page.
Questions? Answers.
What is a community supported agriculture program or CSA?
A community-supported agriculture program (CSA) is a collaborative system among producers and consumers, bypassing intermediaries and distributors. Many CSA operations create strong bonds between members and producers through activities such as farm experiences and events, beyond the simple exchange of goods.
One of the unique points of a CSA is that the members share the risks of farming, such as poor harvests due to adverse weather, and thus actively support agricultural production. This means not only merely supporting farmers financially but actively participating in the agricultural production process, taking responsibility, and sustaining the local region.
Members typically join and prepay for the product that is being made. This enables producers to cover production costs beforehand, ensuring sustainable agricultural operations. In the case of Obubu, we are a global CSA, which means you can support our farms and our village from virtually anywhere in the world!
What are Obubu Tea Club funds used for?
Due to the social nature of Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms, monthly fees of the Obubu Tea Club are used to:
- Promote Japanese tea culture around the world
- Bring focus back to agriculture through community engagement events
- Organise workshops like showcasing the work of some Wazuka artisans. Those include our workshops on hand-rolled tea with Kenta-san, ceramic workshop with Atsuko-san, Wagashi making with Choeido-san and mochi pounding with Toshi-san (aka mochi-man).
In addition to enjoying all the Obubu Tea Club benefits, you also play a part in contributing to society and the farming environment in Wazuka.
How does it work and how to join Obubu Tea Club?
By being part of the Obubu Tea Club community, tea will be sent to you according to your chosen plan and depending on the harvesting schedule. After your registration is processed, you will join hundreds of other tea club members on the next seasonal shipment. Membership in Obubu Tea Club is untimed and continues as long as you wish.
To join, select your desired plan. Please fill out the application form with your delivery address information and credit card details. After registration, you will be signed up to our Monthly Newsletter Magazine, the one-stop shop for tea information and Obubu Stories.
How much does it cost to join Obubu Tea Club?
Obubu Supporter
The monthly contribution fee for joining the Obubu Tea Club as an Obubu Supporter is 1,500¥ JPY. This Support includes, as a thank you for supporting our farming activities, some discounts in our shop, advanced invitations to our events and all our usual digital content for Tea Club members.
The payment will be automatically deducted at the time of registration and your membership will be activated. In the case of monthly contributions, the payments will be performed every month from the registration date.
One Season
The monthly membership fee for joining the Obubu Tea Club as a One Season member is 3,000¥ JPY for all countries where we offer shipping. However, for members in the United States, the fee is 5,000¥ JPY due to a twofold increase in shipping costs to U.S. addresses, along with additional expenses incurred for deliveries to certain remote locations.
Furthermore, the current weak Yen against the US dollar makes sending tea to the United States and maintaining a sustainable farming operation challenging. We appreciate your understanding and support as we continue to produce and send high-quality Japanese tea to tea lovers around the world.
This membership includes the same rewards as in the Obubu Supporter plus:
- 2–3 bags of our seasonal teas packed in retails size bags, for long-term enjoyment.
- 2–3 bags of our seasonal teas packed in multiple bags of 5g. Ideal for sharing with friends and family, traveling, bringing to the office etc.
- The occasional guest tea from other farms and prefectures.
- Special seasonal items
- Printed magazine
For veteran Tea Club members, this is the same box we have been shipping in the past, with the usual seasonal variations. After one year of membership, your name will be shown on our honorary owners board.
The payment will be automatically deducted at the time of registration and your membership will be activated. In the case of monthly contributions, the payments will be performed every month from the registration date.
More questions? We’re here to help.
Email us at teaclub@obubutea.com