GORIGARI - The Story of the Beginning

GARI and GORI met 13 years ago at the Kyoto Prefectural Tea Research Institute.
Back then, they saw each other almost every day, tending to the tea fields together.

After that, the two went their separate ways.
GARI honed his skills as a wholesaler in tea selection, finishing, and blending techniques, while GORI mastered every step from soil preparation to cultivation and harvesting as a producer.

Despite taking different paths, both shared a common concern.

  • Wholesalers and producers have conflicting interests, making genuine cooperation fundamentally difficult.
  • Distribution involves significant waste, ultimately disadvantageous for consumers.
  • Choosing based on quality is challenging, and unscrupulous business practices are not uncommon.
  • They couldn't know who received the tea they made or who enjoyed it.

“Then, let's change it ourselves.”

If they handled everything from cultivation to sales themselves, there would be no conflict. They could support each other where one fell short.
That's how GORIGARI began.

GORIGARI's Philosophy

GORIGARI is a brand dedicated to delivering premium tea in its purest form.

  • An unwavering commitment to meticulous tea cultivation.
  • A streamlined distribution system that eliminates waste.

These two principles are our guiding themes.
Both are remarkably simple, yet fundamentally essential.
Pursuing the obvious was what we set out to do.

However, conveying our passion for tea to everyone isn't easy.
Even GARI doesn't pay much attention to product descriptions when shopping, no matter how elaborate they are.
Because we could write those ourselves.
No matter how much we put our dedication into words, it probably won't mean much. Ultimately, the only way is for you to pick it up and try it for yourself.

Until then, we intend to steadily do what we can.

What GORIGARI Can Do

Many people are involved in the process from tea production to reaching consumers.
You might think direct-from-farmer delivery is the most efficient approach, but surprisingly, that might not be the case.

Typical Tea Distribution
Producer → Market (Auction) → Wholesaler → Trading Company/Retailer → Consumer

  • Prices are determined by auction, so neither producers nor wholesalers can control pricing.
  • Fees, transportation, and storage costs accrue at each stage.
  • Tea often passes through wholesalers and trading companies multiple times before reaching you.
    As a result, the retail price includes many intermediate costs.

Farm-Direct
Producer → Consumer

  • Wholesalers have an advantage in finishing, blending, and storage (they have the knowledge, skills, and machinery).
  • Some examples exist of pricing deviating from market rates (though I believe this is limited...).

GORIGARI
{Producer (GORI) & Wholesaler (GARI)} = GORIGARI → Consumer

  • Professionals manage everything from cultivation to finishing and sales.
  • No market intermediaries, no bidding, no fees.

“Delivering premium tea in the right way”
We believe joining hands and moving forward together is the most direct path to achieving this.

We don't aim to sell cheap tea.
We deliver tea crafted with dedication, as smoothly as possible through rational methods.