JA Kagoshima Chagyo

JAかごしま茶業株式会社JAかごしま茶業

JA Kagoshima Chagyo (JAかごしま茶業株式会社) is the agricultural cooperative tea company of Kagoshima Prefecture, established in March 1975 as a subsidiary of the JA Kagoshima Prefectural Economic Federation. Its founding mission was to stabilize the livelihoods of Kagoshima's tea-producing farmers and establish the 'Kagoshima tea' (かごしま茶) brand nationally. With 41 employees and integrated processing facilities across three sites in Kagoshima City, the company handles everything from crude tea refining and blending to packaging and temperature-controlled storage. In 2024, Kagoshima Prefecture surpassed Shizuoka to become Japan's largest producer of crude tea (aracha) by volume. The company's retail brand is 'さつま路' (Satsuma-ji), sold through its three JA茶房さつま路 tea rooms across Kagoshima and via online channels. Their flagship teas come from the Chiran district (知覧) in southern Kagoshima — one of Japan's most celebrated deep-steamed sencha regions. The company also produces matcha-blended teas, roasted rice teas, and sells tea via major Japanese e-commerce platforms.