The 6-Ton Epiphany

How a British Merchant Sparked the Kyushu Tea Export Boom

When we look back at the dawn of Japan’s international tea trade, the very first major global client was Great Britain—and the entire movement was sparked right here in Kyushu by a British merchant named William John Alt. The catalyst for this historical milestone occurred three years prior, when Alt received a gift of Ureshino tea from a Dutch merchant residing in Nagasaki. Absolutely captivated by its exquisite, unprecedented flavor profile, Alt became determined to share this green luxury with the Western world and placed a massive purchase order.

Because his order was so colossal, the fields of Ureshino alone could not fulfill the demand.

To meet the quota, merchants rallied and gathered high-quality leaves from all across Kyushu, including the nutrient-rich valleys of Yame, successfully shipping a staggering six tons of tea across the ocean. This monumental shipment served as a massive wake-up call for Japanese merchants and farmers alike. Realizing the immense global potential of their harvest, local producers began touring the premier tea regions of Kyushu—with Yame at the heart of the movement—to completely revolutionize their cultivation and manufacturing techniques, laying the foundation for the world-class premium tea industry we know today.