Hiraoka Shoten: Where Mountain Mist Is Born and 10th-Dan Tea Masters Are Made

At Klasek Tea, when we’re searching for new teas, we’re not just looking for the perfect flavor profile. We’re looking for a story, a landscape, and the people whose unique touch is unmistakably evident in the brew. The family-run business Hiraoka Shoten (平岡商店) is exactly that kind of discovery for us. If you enjoy brewing teas that capture the wildness of the Japanese mountains, deep artisanal roots, and a dash of stubborn tradition, sit back and relax. This is a story from Shizuoka Prefecture.

Hiraoka Tea Garden

From wholesale back to the soil and the roots

The history of Hiraoka Shoten began in 1956, when Shizuo Hiraoka founded a small tea company in Shizuoka. His dream at the time was to show all of Japan—and the world—the exceptional quality of teas from his home region of Tamakawa. For decades, the family operated as traditional “finishers” and wholesalers—purchasing the finest tea leaves from trusted local growers, then meticulously sorting, drying, and blending them.

Hiraoka Tea Garden

But a turning point and a return to their very roots came in 2021. The third generation of the family, brothers Yuta and Kota Hiraoka, took a decisive step. They took over the old family plantation and processing factory tucked away in the remote mountainous region of Nagatsumata. Since then, they no longer simply buy tea leaves. They tend the land themselves, prune the bushes themselves, and harvest the tea themselves under their own uncompromising supervision.

Nagatsumata: A harsh environment that shapes character

The plantations in Nagatsumata are not located in mild, sun-drenched lowlands. They are steep mountain slopes in the mountainous Tamakawa region, which stretches along the upper reaches of the famous Abe River. It is here, in the valleys, that heavy morning fog lingers and the temperature differences between day and night are extreme.

Thanks to the Abe River, which supplies the entire area with clean water, and the harsh mountain microclimate, the tea here grows more slowly and has smaller leaves. In the mineral-rich soil, the tea bushes are forced to fight for survival. The result is an incredible concentration of aromatic compounds, natural sweetness, and deep umami—qualities you simply won’t find in lowland teas. That is why this region is renowned for producing teas of the highest category, historically known as Hon-yama.

Tea Tasting

To succeed in this climate, the Hiraoka brothers focused on specific cultivars, such as the rare, frost-resistant Okuhikari—a hybrid of the classic Yabukita and a wild Chinese tea plant that literally thrives in mountainous conditions.

Absolutní vrchol řemesla: 10. dan mistra Yuty

Yuta Hiraoka at work

In Japan, there is a prestigious ranking system for tea masters known as Chashi. Achieving a high rank in this system requires decades of training, an absolute sensory memory, and an unerring eye for detail. In September 2023, the older of the two brothers, Yuta Hiraoka, earned the highest possible title—10th dan (Chashi Level 10).
To put it in perspective, fewer than fifteen living people in all of Japan hold this title. When you drink tea from Hiraoka Shoten, you’re not just drinking an agricultural product. You’re drinking the work of a person who can tell, by the aroma of a dry leaf, how many hours before harvest it rained and exactly how the steaming temperature needs to be set.

The Secret of the Twelve Hours of Withering

Standard Japanese Sencha is steamed immediately after picking to lock in its bright green, fresh, and grassy flavor. However, for its premium lines (such as Nagatsumata Superior), Hiraoka Shoten revives an old, nearly forgotten local tradition—controlled withering.
After hand-picking, the fresh leaves are spread out in the factory and left to rest for about 12 hours. During this time, the leaves lose some of their moisture, and a subtle, gentle enzymatic transformation begins. The tea does not oxidize into oolong or black tea, but it gains something magical: its aroma shifts from pure grass toward intense floral notes, the deep sweetness of young peas, and a milky undertone.

Why do we at Klasek Tea like Hiraoka Shoten?

Because they perfectly embody what we love about the world of tea. They are young people who refused to let their family’s craft fade away amid impersonal mass production. They took their grandfather’s legacy, headed into the mountains with it, and combined their brilliant sensory mastery with the rough natural environment.

Hiraoka Shoten