Ryotaro Nakakubo is the fifth-generation steward of his family’s tea estate, located in the storied tea village of Minami Yamashiro (Kyōto Prefecture). Growing up among centuries-old tea fields, he brings a contemporary sensibility to tradition—focusing on small-lot production, cultivar clarity, and exacting processing methods to bring out nuanced sweetness, umami, and transparent expression of terroir. With a deep respect for his family’s legacy, Nakakubo-san honours the long line of tea artisans before him while embracing innovation in field care, harvest timing and finishing technique.