Trivial Japanese Tea Processing Question

[beachape]

I was watching this video posted by O-cha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srL1_4Z3 ... _embedded#

When the first harvest is cold stored throughout the year, is it stored as unprocessed or processed leaves? I noticed in the video they were storing boxes (which I thought were processed) and big bags, which I suspected were raw leaves.

Also couldn't seem to get their discovery channel video to work on any browser. Can anyone get this to work?
http://www.o-cha.com/discovery.htm

[Chip]

Those stored leaves are ichibancha/first flush. They have been fully processed up to the final sorting and packaging. In this state, you could call it aracha. It will consist of all leaf sized particles and veins.

The leaves are then pulled from cold storage on as needed basis and will then go through final sorting/processing/packaging. Very efficient.

[beachape]

Do they delay the final sorting/packaging because they may have a larger harvest than demand? Or are there other reasons that they don't finish processing/packaging the first harvest right away?

[Chip]

Do they delay the final sorting/packaging because they may have a larger harvest than demand? Or are there other reasons that they don't finish processing/packaging the first harvest right away?

To me, it seems to make a lot of sense to wait.

Economically, why pay for all the processing/packaging now and lose money for months on that processing/packaging.

For the freshest tea possible, this makes sense.

Right after the harvest, they package "Shincha" and simply store and wait. It is not a matter of overproduction ... just makes sense.

The goal is to have FF sencha available year round, and they accomplish this quite well.

Whatever is leftover, I am sure is liquidated to large buyers who will in turn sell to suckas. I long suspected that domestic USA vendors bought this because I have had a LOT of old sencha over the years from sellers like Upton.

[beachape]

Thanks!

Now I have to figure out how I can get one of those huge bags of tea in the video. Don't suspect those "fall of the truck" in the states.