The second harvests are already finished in some producing regions, so that still to evoke in this period as “shincha” the first harvests in 2021 can seem odd. However, in the mountain areas in Shizuoka for example, it has not… Read More ›
yamakai
2021 shincha V
I had promised to do the review of all the 2021 shincha by adopting a short and simple format, but the faster arrival of new teas ultimately still delayed my good initiative. Update on the many new items. Sencha from… Read More ›
2021 Shincha IV
Three more sessions in 2021. Next week, the pace will pick up. Sencha from Hon.yama, Takayama, cultivar Yamakai No need to present this sencha anymore. Each year it is a big hit and does not last long. Sencha from Mariko,… Read More ›
2021 shincha III
The 2021 shincha season continues. Sencha from Kagoshima, cultivar Asanoka This year I managed to get a different Asanoka than last year. This year he comes from Makurazaki, a region at the southern tip of the Satsuma peninsula, known in… Read More ›
Senchas from “Nord-Kantô”, first part: Sashima
Kantô is the region of Tôkyô and surrounding prefectures. To the north and northeast are the prefectures of Saitama and Ibaraki. The first is known for the so-called Sayama teas, produced mainly in the towns of Iruma, with the renowned… 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 ›
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 ›
Yamakai cultivar sencha from Yabe village in Yame
As announced, I propose a very rich range of novelties for the month of July. First a very nice selection of first flush Japanese black tea on which I will return very soon, but also a large number of green… Read More ›
Yamakai cultivar sencha from Wazuka
As announced previously, here is the Yamakai cultivar sencha from Wazuka. It is first of all a true non-shaded sencha, which is not so common with the “Uji sencha” mostly shaded (I remind you that in Kyoto, we will speak… Read More ›
Yamakai cultivar fukamushi-cha from Shimada
The arrival of the shincha this year is about a week late compared to 2018, which finally puts the 2019 harvest in the average, 2018 having been super hasty. Thus, it is only now that we enter the important phase… Read More ›
Yamakai cultivar sencha from Tenryû
After Sayama-kaori cultivar from Tatsukawa in Tenryû (Shizuoka pref.), here is a Yamakai made by the same producer. The attentive reader knows how much I appreciate this varietal from the series # 7000, cultivars developed during the 60’s from Yabukita… Read More ›
Time for gyokuro !
What to drink in late winter or early spring? In Japan, the big tea brands released in February the “haru-machi cha” (tea for waiting spring), or other blend with the same kind of naming. These are of course no particular… Read More ›
2016 sencha from Ôma, Yabikuta and Yamakai
I have already mentioned Ôma and Mr. Nakamura’s sencha (Yabukita cultivar) that I constantly recommend. The small village of Ôma is located at an altitude of over 700m, in Ôkawa sector. This is the most remote part of the so-called… Read More ›
Shizuoka, Tamakawa 2015, Sôfû & Yamakai cultivars
After talking about the incredible Tôbettô, pinnacle of Tsukiji Estate teas in Tamakawa (in area known as Hon.yama in Shizuoka) now produced by young Mr. Kosugi, I will present the following two sencha from this Estate, the Sôfû蒼風 and Yamakai… Read More ›
Traditional gyokuro from Yame, Yamakai cultivar
Here is a new “Yame traditional hon-gyokuro” (there is several rules about growing method to obtain this name, like uncut trees, hand picking, “honzu” straw shading, etc.). More exactly, it’s from Hoshino village in the mountainous part of Yame. It… Read More ›
Japanese Tea Sommelier 