[Sayama City, Saitama] New Tea for the Sayama New Tea Festival is Ready! Limited to 1,500 Bags

The 'Sayama New Tea Festival' will be held on April 29, 2026 (Wednesday, Showa Day). To prepare for this event, the Sayama City Tea Industry Association and the Sayama City Hand-Kneaded Tea Preservation Society manufactured the new tea on April 26 at Yamato Kurihara-en.

On that day, approximately 350 kilograms of hand-picked raw tea leaves were brought in from various local farms starting at 10:00 AM. These were processed into 'Aracha' (crude tea) at the factory and subsequently refined and packaged into 40-gram bags by local tea merchants. A total of about 1,500 bags were completed, which will be sold for 1,000 yen each (tax included) at the festival and used for free tea-tasting services.

**Event Details: Sayama New Tea Festival**
- **Date & Time:** April 29, 2026 (Wed), 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM (Sales start at 10:30 AM)
- **Location:** Sayama City Hall (1-23-5 Irumagawa, Sayama City)
- **Access:** 10-minute walk from Sayama-shi Station (West Exit) on the Seibu Shinjuku Line.
- **Pricing:** 1,000 yen per 40g bag.
- **Organizer:** Sayama New Tea Festival Executive Committee (Chairman: Tatsuo Okutomi)
- **Activities:**
- Sale and tasting of Sayama Shincha
- Tea-picking experience (take home the leaves you pick)
- Demonstration of traditional hand-kneaded tea making
- Sale of fresh vegetables and local products from sister city Tsunan (Niigata Prefecture)
- Food trucks and free tea hospitality by new city employees.

**Additional Event: Free Tea Hospitality at City Hall**
- **Date:** May 7-8, 2026, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
- **Details:** Free tea service and an exhibition of 7 original artworks by Shoji Ikehara, a renowned 'Doue' (children's picture) artist and tourism ambassador for Sayama City. His works depict the beautiful tea fields of Sayama that should be preserved for future generations.

*Note: New tea will not be sold during the May 7-8 event; please purchase from local tea shops in the city.