On March 11th, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami caused disasters along the Sanriku Coast. Not only were buildings destroyed, but many wildlife areas were torn apart　and many trees had fallen.

But even in such wreckage, camellias were still standing strong.

Camellias are known to be very vulnerable during their early years. Wild camellias favor to hide and protect themselves in bushes or shades, hence called Yabu-Tsubaki, where yabu means bush and tsubaki means camellia.

The roots of camellias dig deep into the Earth, taking them much longer to grow compared to other trees. But once they have planted their roots, they become one of the strongest trees against disasters. Motif

Seeing such camellias, we have strongly felt that we humans should learn from how they grow. Instead of constantly competing and comparing ourselves to one another, we should take our time to build upon our own lives, steadily and firmly, just like how camellias extend their roots deep underground.

Move at your own pace. Once your roots have grown, even the lowest of lows in life will not stop you from standing tall and one day, blossom.

Just like these Sanriku Camellias, we should strive to live with pride.

Don’t you think that the camellias are much like the Japanese people?

Such wonderous Sanriku Camellias are used as the main ingredient of this product.

Furthermore, what camellias mean in the language of flowers, is… Pride.

Sanriku Camellia Story, Banzai Factory Co., Ltd.

The Camellia Leaf Tea was started by the owner of Banzai Factory Co., Ltd. after the disaster which damaged much of Ofunato. Surprise by the strength and unlimited potential that the Sanriku Camellia holds, they have thrived to perfect the Camellia Leaf Tea, ultimately creating the all-natural, sugar-free, calorie-free, and caffeine-free tea.

In all honesty, there are way too many things I want to talk about this product. The background story of why they started, the importance of utilizing the camellia which thrives in this area, the social impact that it provides, and the future this product holds, etc.

But I’ve come to my senses to realize that if I did all that, then it’ll be a book and not an article. So, to slim up I’ll just list 3 main reason why I personally like this tea.

１. The Roots of Camellia in the Japanese Culture
It may perhaps be just common sense to any Japanese, but for me this was something that truly opened my eyes. You see, Camellia, or “tsubaki” in Japanese, actually has a long history in Japan. I wonder how many who are reading this may also have knowledge of this, but Camellia is a tree that has resided in Japan since very early on, even before the cherry blossoms Japan is named for. The facts can be found in historical writings where it states that cherry blossoms were imported from the Himalayan’s long ago. But if that doesn’t convince you, the kanji character for camellia is written using sub-kanji of “tree” and “spring” meaning that back in the day, the tree/flower which sent the first word of spring was the camellia. Additionally, for those who are keen on watching Japanese drama or anime like me, you might recall that characters which have the name ‘Tsubaki,’ tend to resemble characteristic which relate to traditional Japanese such as straight black hair or kimono when compared to characters with the name “Sakura.”

This information was, call me Mr. Exaggeration, but mind blowing. All because, in my head, cherry blossoms and spring in Japan were so tightly knit. The way in which I see camellias were honestly forever changed, and I would have probably not have come across this until I heard this from the owner of this Camellia Leaf Tea.
（「Please click here for more information about Camellia and Ofunato! (【The Town of Camellia Ofunato】 | Iwate & the ILC (iwate-ilc.jp))」）

２The Social Impact
 Long story short, the tea leaves of the Camellia Leaf Tea are collected by the people of living in this area, providing work to the people here, and ultimately benefitting the community. One reason is because this area is abundant with camellia trees, but the real reason is that Banzai Factory Co., Ltd. has continued to provide labor for those who suffered after the tsunami disaster. Moreover, the labor is given to the elderlies and to those who in need of physical or mental support. The process of preparing the camellia leaves are simple enough for these people to contribute and even make a few extra money for themselves.
What I think is so fascinating about this is that from the governmental perspective these people are generally not counted as a “labor force.” Yet even in such situation, being able to provide work and on top of that provide work that will revitalize the city using its own specialty is something that is worth commemorating and be have pride for.

３. Providing a Reason to Return
 One of the major issues in many parts of Japan is the declining population. Aside from the declining birth rates, another underlying problem revolves around the fact that the younger generations are moving out of the rural areas and into the urban cities. The difference in job opportunities as well the difference in the amount of earning one can receive is of course something that accelerates this, but what I believe to be an important issue that people often leaves behind is the attachment one has to their hometown.

The owner of Banzai Factory had also focused on this perspective. Instead of creating a reason not to leave, he created a reason to return. One way in which he did this is to incorporate the learnings of camellia and its connection to the town in a classroom environment. In addition, he has created a process where children who graduate school a chance to plant their own camellia in areas where the tsunami has caused damage through the earning made from selling the Camellia Leaf Tea, in hopes that even if they are to leave town, they can come back to remember their own camellia.

I truly believe that this is a movement which will last for years to go. The positive cycle in which this one product creates may seem small at first. But in hopes that this will slowly spread and create a new trend, I would like to leave things off here so that those who are interested can also come to the town of Ofunato, the town of camellia, and experience the social impact and the delicate sweet taste of this crisp camellia tea.