Amacha (天供茶)

In Buddhism, amacha is the tea traditionally used to celebrate the birth of the Buddha during the Hanamatsuri (Flower Festival).

The variety we cultivate—Amagi Amacha—is especially rare. In the wild, the plant is often entirely consumed down to the roots, making its cultivation quite difficult and limited in availability.

Despite these challenges, we have carefully nurtured this rare plant in Takine Town, a place that was spared from radiation damage during the Great East Japan Earthquake. It is hand-harvested and dried with care. This effort led to the first-ever official sales in Fukushima Prefecture under the brand name “Minna no Amacha (みんなの天供茶)”.

Amacha is well known for its exceptional health benefits and has long been used as a traditional medicinal herb. In 2023, the Iwate Biotechnology Research Center confirmed that amacha has infection-inhibiting properties, offering scientific validation for its use.

Weeding is done by hand, and the only fertilizer used is natural oilcake. The tea is additive-free, caffeine-free, and zero-calorie, making it safe for everyone—from children to the elderly. It can also be used as a natural sweetener in cooking. This tea is astonishingly sweet.

In the invisible (spiritual) world, amacha is considered the highest quality offering. Why? Because it is made with a spirit of selflessness, purely with the intent to “cause no conflict and help others regain their vitality.” If planted with complaints or greed for profit, the plant will either wither or become toxic.

When you ingest something that is “white and pure” in energy, it nourishes and energizes the body. Amacha can alleviate spiritual “signals” such as physical pain, and it is a sacred medium that connects people to the divine—to both deities and ancestral spirits.

As the tea offered to the Buddha himself, placing it on a household altar or Buddhist altar each morning is deeply appreciated by the divine. It is also used daily for spiritual practices, offerings, and land purification rituals.

We received amacha as a sacred tool—the only one that allows a direct connection to both kami (gods) and mitama (ancestral spirits). To the spirits, amacha feels like finally being able to bathe after hundreds of years in a freezing land—a sense of indescribable comfort.

In recognition of its value, amacha was officially certified as a Tamura City brand product on December 19, 2023.

You can purchase it at the Mikochan Cafeteria, through official partner retailers, or online.