A husband and wife team based in Uchimaki, the Moriuchis are a living example of a fading, varietal tea culture. Each parcel of their gardens was deliberately selected for its suitability to the cultivar planted in them. Along the Abe river valley, the hills of their gardens are steep, well-drained and naturally rife in soil nutrients. Each tea bush is free-seeded and not planted in commodity method. Only a natural, homemade fertilizer blend is employed. During early spring, Mr. Moriuchi will select the deliberate few days to pick shincha by hand, varying from plant to plant.