Inaka Denshosha values the cultural and ecological diversity woven into everyday life. It studies local materials, customs, tools, and practical knowledge, developing experiences and products that help people discover what makes each place distinctive.

Its office is in Hashimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, with a tea workshop in Koya, a fermentation laboratory in Kinokawa, and a medicinal herb garden in Hashimoto. Connecting research with practical uses for local resources is central to its work.

A key initiative is a tea experience exploring the culture of the Heian period, when the Buddhist monk Kukai lived, through efforts to reconstruct how tea was made and prepared at the time.

The team produces its own tea, drawing on historical texts and research into the tools, ingredients, and methods once used. Differences from modern tea offer a starting point for exploring the connections between food and history, materials and tools.

The choice of plant material is also part of the research. Tanaka describes seeking out traditional local tea varieties and finding a tea tree more than 100 years old. In his published account, he also describes transplanting the tree to the herb garden.

Where Food Heritage Meets Craft

Selecting materials, learning how tools were used, and testing methods by hand are all part of the process. Through its work with tea, Inaka Denshosha shares both the finished product and the skills and cultural context behind it.

Inaka Denshosha welcomes opportunities to reach new markets and explore product development and community projects. It is also interested in connecting with people in Japan and abroad who share a strong interest in history and culture.

In a September 2026 post, Tanaka invited collaborators to recreate historical confections to accompany the tea experience. This offers a specific starting point for businesses interested in researching and reconstructing food traditions.

Travel publication NEWT has featured Inaka Denshosha’s tea and herb experiences.

NEWT / Travel20 Places to Visit in Wakayama City, with Suggested ItinerariesFeaturing Inaka Denshosha’s tea and herb experiences · Article in Japanese

According to Inaka Denshosha’s announcements, the Mainichi Shimbun featured its herb garden on August 25, 2026, while the Yomiuri Shimbun and Nara Shimbun covered its historical tea events in 2025. The links below lead to the organization’s own reports of that coverage, in Japanese.

• Mainichi Shimbun coverage: the herb garden in the Mount Koya foothills
• Yomiuri Shimbun and Nara Shimbun coverage: historical tea events