Mellow Monk is a green business that imports green tea directly from - and only from - independent artisinal tea estates in Kumamoto, Japan.

These estates are certified eco-friendly and are 100% family owned and operated: these artisan-growers own the land they farm, farm only the land they own, and harvest and process tea leaves only from their own estates. Thus our single-estate tea is the product of traditional tea artisans with complete control over every aspect of their operations.



Mellow Monk travels the hills and valleys of Kumamoto to find the best grower-artisans of green tea. We cultivate long-term, face-to-face relationships with them.

We also seek out green tea estates with impeccable reputations in their own local markets - estates owned and operated by artisans recognized as masters at growing and harvesting tea of exceptional and consistent quality.





When our tea buyers visit a tea-producing region, they visit many estates and talk not only with the artisans themselves but also with people in the surrounding community, to sound out their opinions. We seek out tea that is already popular where it's made, in the belief that teas that please local palates have already passed a rigorous test.

Choosing tea popular in Japan may mean limited quantities for the outside world, but it also assures not just quality but also continuity: The first step in establishing long-term relationships with grower-artisans is to select estates that will be around for a long, long time.