In response to changes in consumer trends and production environments both domestically and internationally, research is being conducted with the aim of developing new tea cultivars that contribute to strengthening production bases and expanding demand. Specifically, efforts focus on breeding high-yielding cultivars that enable reduced-pesticide and labor-saving cultivation through enhanced resistance to pests and diseases; high-quality cultivars with differing harvest times (early to late maturing) that can cope with meteorological disasters associated with recent climate warming; and cultivars characterized by distinctive contents of components such as polyphenols that have the potential to generate new demand. Through the development and dissemination of these new cultivars, we seek to enhance the added value of Japanese tea and promote the sustainable development of the tea industry.
