In Kuma, Kumamoto, owing to large variations in the inland climate, there is a concern of withering damage to wintering buds from lower winter temperatures than those in the major tea-producing areas. This study examined the danger of withering to wintering buds and the method of skiffing that could ensure a stable yield of the first tea crop. In this study, which was over 2 years, 25-80 % of wintering buds in autumn skiffing suffered from cold injury and/or died. This implies that in the tea fields of Kuma, which were subjected to autumn skiffing, the damage to wintering buds was so large that it affected the yield of the first tea crop every year. Damage to dead buds was observed 1.2-2.4 cm from the canopy surface. Parts of the wintering buds that were exposed to the canopy surface owing to autumn skiffing suffered cold injury, suggesting that damage to dead buds was up to several cm away from the canopy surface. *