Wishing to Communicate through Subtle Properties of Green Tea
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I felt powerless. Now I really didn't know what to do. In a sense, the land and the plants lost their "vigor" however temporarily, and one might say that the quality of the tea has declined in an immeasurable way. Looking at these photos now though, the plants do look vibrant as they did in 2001. Then, what was I worried about? I guess I was concerned that people like Vicki, who were able to taste and pick up the "loving and caring" quality in his tea, might also sense something that had been "lost."
Well, what does this all mean in terms of my involvement in the organic green tea venture? From the beginning, I wanted to create a new type of business that endeavors to manifest the very best for everyone involved. It would be easy to draw up a "doing good for the health of people and the environment" picture. If that is the ultimate goal though, I don't have much of a role to play in this. Organic tea farmers are gaining recognition these days, and large corporations, as well as small firms with entrepreneur spirit, are now widely distributing organic green tea within and outside Japan. High-volume production will lead to lower price, which should make health-conscious, environmentally-caring consumers happy. So, is this the end of the story? I don't know. What I can say is that my primary passion has never been in the distribution of "products." I introduced Jiro-san's tea because I think I wanted to meet and communicate with people, like-minded or otherwise, whom I can resonate with on a subtle level. I've come to understand that I am a passionate, creative being and thrive on "resonance" generated in shared moments. That inaudible "humming" is the BEST nutrition for my soul, that much I know. And I still like to believe that Jiro-san's tea offers us a powerful tool for facilitating such encounters and rendition of "special accords." Hope we get to talk some day over a cup of green tea...
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In the spring of 2004, I visited the Suzuki's again to take some pictures of the tea plants as they were about to be reaped. I did not know how best to work with them; all I could think of was to let people know more about the farm and the family with as little censorship on my part as possible. While Jiro-san and his son were test-trimming the first row, I stepped into the field, hoping to capture the "fluffy, moist soil," but couldn't. That happy mom-and-pop farm was gone and still, even after two years, filled with sweet memories of Mom. It seemed that the plants were still mourning, the soil was mourning, let alone Jiro-san.
