Young leaves, dry wood
Umami★★☆☆ / Astringency★★☆☆
Body★★★★ / Firing★★☆☆

At over 800 m (2600 ft) in altitude, Tôbetto, in the Tamakawa sector, is one of the highest tea plantations in Japan, but that is not enough to make such an extraordinary sencha. Very special care is given to this plantation of unpruned tea trees, and the leaves are harvested only once a year, by hand. Only the best leaves are chosen, which is necessary to obtain a perfectly uniform raw material in order to be able to steam for only 6 seconds. Such short steaming is unique in Japan, and was perfected by the genius Tsukiji Katsumi, who handed the secret down to the young Kosugi Yoshiki in 2015. Mr. Kosugi continues to produce tea that is as close as possible to what tea trees grown in the natural Tôbetto environment provide, in the spirit of “add nothing, but remove nothing either.”
These very special conditions, in terms of both growing and processing, give this sencha, the star of the Tsukiji plantation, its incredible strength, rich aromas and perfect balance.
It is not a flood of umami, but a subtle balance of sweetness and astringency, a deep, enchanting fragrance and rich flavours, simultaneously fruity and floral. The length in the mouth is exceptional, and very few Japanese teas can be infused so many times.
It is also a very difficult sencha to make poorly. It is excellent no matter what infusion method you use (so long as you employ a minimum of good sense!). At the very pinnacle of the technique for steaming green tea, this is a truly exceptional sencha, but it is also in a class of its own, and should be seen in a context broader than that of Japanese tea.
It is a tea that can also be infused slowly, using ice cold water, to produce exceptional sweetness.

More information is available on the blog of our Japanese tea sommelier, in French here, and in English here.

Type of tea: Futsumushi sencha (normal-steamed sencha)
Origin: Tôbettô, Tamakawa area, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Cultivar: Yabukita & Ômune
Harvest: May 18~25th, 2025, hand picked