Profile

Pioneered Eucommia cultivation in the Ina Valley and launched Japan's first Eucommia-leaf tea in 1981.

Story

In the late 1970s the Ina district of Nagano urgently needed a replacement for its declining sericulture industry. Karasawa Takeshi brought Eucommia seed back from Korea and succeeded in trial cultivation; guided by Dr. Namba Tsuneo, director of the Research Institute for Wakan-Yaku at Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, he demonstrated that Eucommia leaves have medicinal effects similar to the bark, and in 1981 launched Japan's first Eucommia-leaf tea, 'Senmeicha'—the origin of today's Tochu tea.

The Minowa Medicinal Herb Producers' Association he formed was later reorganized as the Shinshu Tochu Producers' Association and then the Japan Tochu Producers' Association; in 1987, in cooperation with Hitachi Zosen's biotechnology division, it took Tochu tea nationwide, sparking the Tochu tea boom that swept Japan in the 1990s. Though Karasawa has passed away, the Japanese industry still honors him as the pioneer who 'brought Tochu tea to the world.'

Milestones

• 1972 The medicinal tree Eucommia was introduced for trial cultivation in the Ina Valley
• 1981 Founded the Minowa Medicinal Herb Producers' Association (serving as its head); 'Senmeicha' went on sale
• 1984 Signed a research and development contract with Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University
• 1987 The association was licensed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as an agricultural cooperative corporation and partnered with Hitachi Zosen's biotechnology division to expand sales
• 1993 Exhibited independently at the Shinshu Exposition for 72 days to promote Tochu tea, receiving a certificate of appreciation from the exposition

Key Contributions

• In the 1970s introduced Eucommia seed from Korea for trial planting in the Ina Valley of Nagano, pioneering Eucommia cultivation in Japan
• In 1981 founded the Minowa Medicinal Herb Producers' Association as its head and, in cooperation with the Nagano Prefectural Food Industry Research Institute and the Research Institute for Wakan-Yaku of Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, developed Japan's first processed Eucommia-leaf tea, 'Senmeicha'
• In 1983 renamed 'Senmeicha' as 'Tochu tea', laying the foundation of Japan's Tochu tea industry
• His enterprise has been carried on by the Japan Tochu Producers' Association and Sanmex; Minowa is known as 'the birthplace of Japanese Tochu tea'