Tea plant in Kyoto

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ABOUT OUR
fieldwork

Fieldwork creates the foundation of our reason of being. And when that fieldwork can be free from commercial sponsors or government agencies, the purest and most just fieldwork can be achieved. This is why we do not perform fieldwork as client work, but rather the fieldwork is done out of our own interest alone, and partners can leverage what we have already gathered, experimented, and ideated thereafter.

In a remote village in Kyoto remnants of a historic tea culture still remain. This region was once a vital tea-producing hub where community, cultivation, and the mountain coexist.

Having been separated from human care, these tea mountains are now overgrown, causing flora and fauna to be unbalanced. When we remove ourselves from the ecosystem, the forest is unhappy. Neither humans nor tea can survive independently.

We intentionally call this place “chayama”, tea mountain, and not tea farm, as our interest lies in realizing a bio-diverse forest where tea, bamboo, cyprus, sansho pepper, and all other living things intermingle. Our aim is to activate the mountain through sustainable utilization.

We’ve begun pruning tea trees that have gone rouge over the decades to let more light into the forest floor and reignite the earth.

The mountain serves as an invaluable educational resource. We practice holistic living by integrating the abundance of the tea fields into daily life. Our approach goes beyond mere preservation; we focus on active stewardship. This is the core value of chayama.

Under our mission, "Traditional Materials for Today," Kyoto Research Institute conducts ongoing fieldwork and practical research. However, an initiative of this scale cannot be accomplished by a small team alone. We are seeking partners who are passionate about land restoration and the sustainable utilization of tea.

ABOUT CHAYAMA

Close-up of young trees with green leaves and bare branches in a forest setting.
A dense forest with tall trees and undergrowth, under a clear blue sky.
Close-up of intertwined tree branches and green leaves in a forest, with sunlight filtering through.
Person in black jacket and blue gloves, with hood up, inspecting or collecting something among green bushy plants in a dense outdoor setting.
A person wearing gardening gloves pruning green shrubbery with pruning shears in a garden or forest.
Close-up of a plant with green leaves and dark seed pods hanging from the stem.
Close-up of green tea tree leaves with sunlight filtering through
Close-up of green leaves on tree branches with a blurred sky background.
A woman harvesting or inspecting blueberry bushes in a lush, green outdoor setting.
Close-up of a bamboo stalk surrounded by green leaves and ground soil.
View of the sky through dense green foliage and a tangle of brown, dried leaves and vines.
A person wearing gloves and a blue jacket using hedge trimmers to trim bushes in a garden.
A person wearing a hat, glasses, and gloves is using gardening shears to prune or trim dense green bushes in an outdoor setting.
Close-up of bamboo leaves and stalks with sunlight filtering through the canopy.
Close-up photo of dense green moss and leaves growing on tree branches in a shaded forest area.
Close-up of moss and small plants growing on a tree branch in a forest.
Two people in gloves and outdoor clothing are harvesting a tea plant in a lush, green tea field.
Two people working together outdoors, one wearing gloves and handling a tree branch.
A person in a pink long-sleeve shirt pinching a small green plant in a natural outdoor setting.
A hand pinching a small green plant with shiny leaves in a garden or outdoor setting.
Person pruning or inspecting a green leafy shrub with pruning shears.
A close-up view of dense green leaves and small branches with a green mesh or fabric edge visible at the top right.
Person pruning green shrub with gardening shears.
Person harvesting tea leaves in a tea plantation, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and dark outdoor clothing.
A close-up of a ceramic bowl on an orange tray with green leaves and a branch, set outdoors with blurred greenery in the background.
Two women participating in a clean-up activity, carrying large green trash bags filled with collected trash, wearing outdoor clothing and gloves on a paved path next to a rock wall.
People collecting leaves and plant cuttings in a green reusable bag during outdoor cleanup.
Close-up of a narrow stream with clear water flowing between moss-covered rocks and small green plants.
Close-up of vibrant green moss growing on a dark, cracked piece of wood or bark in a forest setting.
A man working in a dense bamboo forest, bending over and using a tool to clear debris.
Close-up of bamboo stalks and green leaves in a bamboo forest.
Person in a black rain jacket and hood touching a large tree trunk in a forest with bamboo stalks.
Person wearing gloves and brown jacket working in bamboo forest with tall bamboo stalks and leaf-covered ground.
A lush green hillside with various types of trees and bushes under a clear blue sky.
A person in a black raincoat, gloves, and wide-brimmed hat walking along a forest trail surrounded by tall trees and dense green foliage.
Close-up of a rocky surface with moss, small ferns, and dry grass growing between the stones.
A person with long hair and arms extended is collecting water from an outdoor water spigot into a bucket.
A small forest stream flowing between moss-covered banks surrounded by trees and vegetation.
Close-up of green leaves on a plant, with a woody stem in the background.
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FAQs

  • As a Japan-incorporated entity, we are unable to offer tax deductions.

  • Your donation helps to counterbalance costs associated with our ongoing fieldwork.

  • Yes, you can book Office Hours.