| MIE, Nov. 22 – The line of hand-made accessories featuring tea leaves made by a 17-year-old daughter of a tea farmer in Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture, is drawing attention. The daughter, Run Shimizu, is in her second year of high school in Japan. She uses premium kabusecha tea leaves to make her original eye-catching accessories made of transparent resin with floating tea leave and sold more than 60 pieces since April.
All her items, including earrings, hairpins, and rings, are sold with a note of the name of the tea variety she used, such as “Sae Akari” or “Sofu.” Shimizu uses tea leaves from her parents’ tea company, Marushige Shimizu Seicha, a 10-hectare tea plantation with a factory that makes and sells its original tea leaves. “I’ll just go to the factory and pick some leaves,” said Shimizu, and she also sells her products at “Kabusecha Cafe” operated by the company. “You’ll be curious if the type of tea you enjoyed at the cafe is in an accessory. I would be happy if both the accessories and the tea sell well,” Shimizu said. The hand-made accessories are available at four places, including the City Tea Industry Promotion Center and local retail stores. She also has her Instagram account, “CHA. RUNRUN,” to introduce her products. |
Run Shimizu showing her handmade accessories (in Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture)