A Japanese Coffee Farm in Yunnan’s Baoshan Region

In the hills of Baoshan, Yunnan, a Japanese family farms coffee using entirely organic methods. Here, surrounded by mountain air and traditional ethnic minority workers, they grow some of the region’s most carefully nurtured beans. This isn’t just agriculture — it’s a full-scale experiment in cultivating coffee as nature intended.

The Baoshan farm, run by Japanese couple Masaki Tashiro and Tsukasa Tashiro, produces organic Yunnan coffee with methods refined over years in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and beyond. Their coffee trees, now three years old, follow a meticulous upbringing from nursery to field, using zero agrochemicals.

Growing Up Organic: Tsukasa’s Journey

Tsukasa Tashiro, an agricultural scientist from Japan, began her career promoting organic farming in the Dominican Republic. Over five years, she introduced soil-safe practices across Central America and the Caribbean. There, she met Masaki. Their shared vision brought them to Yunnan after responding to a call to establish organic coffee farming with overseas Chinese entrepreneur Yao Yonghan.

Before arriving in China, the couple trained in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains to master organic cultivation. They treat each coffee seedling like a child: starting in a “nursery,” then moving to protected “daycare” before finally being planted in the red-earth fields of their Baoshan farm. Their earliest trees, now three years old, are just beginning to fruit — around the same age as their daughter, Tian Daihe.

Farming Life in the Fields: Masaki’s Perspective

Masaki Tashiro oversees daily operations across the six-kilometer route to the farm. From February to September, he monitors tree health and oversees harvest readiness. The main picking season runs from September to February — the busiest time for the team of a dozen local workers, many of whom are ethnic Miao and Dai. They hand-pick only ripe red cherries, ensuring quality without pesticides.

The farm is a cultural mix: workers wear traditional embroidered clothing, and drink a locally foraged citrus-flavored “orange grass” tea believed to enrich the soil. Livestock manure is composted with EM bacteria, coffee husks, oilseed meal, charcoal, and other organic ingredients to build nutrient-rich fertilizer. This “coffee diet,” carefully curated by Tsukasa, feeds the trees through the critical growth months of January and February.

The Farmstead: Life Between Harvests

Amid the bustle, life on the farm balances work and family. In the yard, coffee dries under the spring sun. Nearby, a wooden table set with blue-printed cloth holds brewing tools for enjoying freshly roasted coffee. Workers take breaks here, inhaling the aroma of Yunnan-grown beans. The family’s daughter roams the fields, where coffee plants stand as tall as she is.

Masaki recalls the scent of climbing mountain flowers mixing with coffee aroma in February. The landscape, the climate, and the care invested all shape the cup. The family’s goal remains unwavering: to grow some of the best organic coffee in the world, on their own terms, in the hills of Yunnan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Yunnan coffee farm run by the Japanese family located?

The farm is in Baoshan, Yunnan, near the Gaoligong Mountain foothills, specifically in the red-earth hills of the Ludian area. It lies within the broader southern Yunnan coffee-growing zone, close to the famous Ludian (or Nujiang) valley.

How do the owners grow coffee organically on the farm?

The Tashiro family avoids all chemical pesticides and fertilizers. They use manual pest control, compost made from livestock manure, EM bacteria, coffee husks, oilseed meal, straw ash, and charcoal. Seedlings are raised in protected nurseries before transplanting.

What training prepared the owners for organic coffee farming in Yunnan?

Prior to Yunnan, Tsukasa worked in the Dominican Republic for five years promoting organic farming, and both owners trained in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains. They also studied organic techniques in the Dominican Republic, India, and Sri Lanka.

What is unique about the Yunnan coffee variety grown on this farm?

The farm grows Yunnan Arabica, primarily the Typica variety, known for its balanced profile. The beans are cultivated at high altitude in red soil, under organic practices, producing a clean cup reflective of the region’s terroir.

How long does it take for coffee seedlings to produce fruit on this farm?

From seed to first fruit takes about three years. The seedlings are first raised in a nursery, then transferred to protected care, and finally planted in the field — similar to the growth timeline of the Tashiro’s three-year-old daughter.

Can visitors see the farm or buy their coffee directly?

The article doesn’t specify visitor access or direct sales, but the farm is part of Yunnan’s specialty coffee movement. FrontStreet Coffee offers Yunnan-grown beans with similar profiles, freshly roasted for home brewing.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Yunnan Organic Fans

Try FrontStreet’s 2013 Yunnan Typica, a sun-dried classic with bold citrus and berry tones, or their washed Yunnan Arabica, a balanced medium roast with caramel and mild acidity. Both beans highlight the terroir of Yunnan’s high-altitude red-earth farms, much like the Tashiro family’s organic approach. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.