Among the novelties of this year, I mean the teas that I am offering for the very first time, one of the most interesting is the Sôfû cultivar from Kawane. Although not premeditated, I have been able to get my… Read More ›
sencha
Murakami tea
Readers of the last newsletter saw a new production region added to Thés du Japon. This is indeed the first time that I have offered a Murakami tea. Since opening the physical store in Tokyo three years ago, my interest… Read More ›
2021 shincha VI
The 2021 vintages continue to arrive, faster and faster, so dealing with everything, even briefly, on this blog is not that simple … but let’s go! Sencha from Fujieda, cultivar Fuji-kaori Rarer than Sôfû, this other inzatsu type cultivar that… Read More ›
2021 shincha II
Continuation of 2021 shincha. Sencha from Mariko, Kondô-wase cultivar Despite the arrival even earlier of shincha from the southern islands of Kagoshima, for me it is Mariko’s manual harvest Kondô-wase and its unique scent that ring the real start of… Read More ›
Kawane senchas I
My Kawane sencha selection is changing a bit this year. Remember, Kawane is a mountain production area in the prefecture of Shizuoka, located on both sides of the Ooi-gawa river, upstream from the town of Shimada. The first documents relating… Read More ›
Yamakai cultivar sencha from Asamiya
After a big article about the refining of tea in Japan, a little spotlight on a tea that greatly deserves it: new in my selection, here is a Yamakai from Asamiya (Shiga prefecture). The regulars of Thés-du-Japon and this blog… Read More ›
About tea refining in Japan
I recently mentioned the crucial phase in the production of Japanese tea called “shiage“, which can be called “refining” tea. In Japan, in general, the producer produces “aracha“, raw tea, an unfinished product, basically still unfit for marketing. Most of… Read More ›
Kôshun sencha from Asamiya and tea refining in Japan
This sencha is one of the teas from my selection that I particularly cherish. It comes from Asamiya, a production region with ancient history, yet little known today. Asamiya is located in the Shiga prefecture, and is part of the… Read More ›
Yume-wakaba sencha from Sayama
His absence was long. Indeed, this beautiful Yume-wakaba cultivar sencha, manual harvest and standard steaming, has been present in my selection for several years. Unfortunately, last year, a major hailstorm shortly before the harvest destroyed the young leaves of this… Read More ›
Asanoka cultivar sencha & a few words about Kagoshima
With around 32% of tea production today, Kagoshima is, after Shizuoka (39%), the second largest Japanese tea producer. It is interesting to note that Kagoshima on the other hand represents 20% of the cultivated area and Shizuoka 40%, that is… Read More ›
2020 shincha, Yamakai fukamushi-cha from Shimada
Here is a tea, a type of tea let’s say, which is kind of new in my selection: a real good fukamushi from Shizuoka, i.e. not shaded, not of these modern fukamushi aiming only at a very green and opaque… Read More ›
Kondô-wase from Mariko; 2020 shincha
In an increasingly difficult situation, nature is running its course and the 2020 shincha season is off to a good start. As every year for a long time now, here is the sencha cultivar Kondô-wase from Mariko. Harvested manually on… Read More ›
Shincha 2020, Kuritawase cultivar from Tanegashima
As the global health crisis continues to paralyze the world, international tea shipments continue to accumulate delays in a critical and desperate manner. Thés du Japon is therefore looking for an alternative to Japan Post … Tea continues to grow… Read More ›
Two Yabukita sencha from Yame
Here are two excellent sencha for a great textbook case. Same production area, same producer, same cultivar: Yabukita. Both are shaded, 5 days for one 6 for the other. These are two teas from the village of Yabe in Yame,… Read More ›
Samidori cultivar sencha from Wazuka
After having presented in my last articles rather unusual teas, I will talk today about a tea, a sencha, much more classic. Classic does not necessarily mean common, since it is a Samidori cultivar, not Saemidori, from Wazuka, non-shaded, whereas… Read More ›