Cultivar and technical information
Umegashima is one of the most remote zones of the Hon.yama tea-producing region in Shizuoka. Mr. Koizumi produced this sencha without chemical pesticides or fertilizer in Nyûshima, in a garden along a riverbank at 400 metres (1300 feet) in altitude.
It is a garden where Yabukita cultivar tea trees grow alongside old indigenous “zairai” tea trees.
While “zairai” tea leaves are often harvested later in the season to turn them into teas similar to banchas, Mr. Koizumi agreed to Thés du Japon’s request and harvested young leaves to make a fine sencha, despite all the difficulty involved in processing this type of leaf. This has enhanced the sometimes forgotten qualities of “zairai” plants, which are different from those of cultivars.
For this tea we asked the producer not to perform the second rolling step (jûnen) to ensure that the powerful “zairai” tea leaves were not too tightly rolled.

The nose
The fragrance is initially very light, green, and woody. But in subsequent infusions reveal aromas that evoke juicy citrus fruits.

The mouth
In the mouth, the attack is also light and there are subtle woody, licorice aromas. Overall, the experience remains very green and is very lightly astringent.
But a sweet sensation very quickly develops, coating the mouth in a persistent manner. It is here that we see the strength of zairai tea plans.
The following infusions do not have any more tannins. They are even more fluid and are extremely refreshing. And the intensity of the sweet aftertaste remains just as incredible.

Summary
With these ancient, indigenous tea trees, we have a sencha where the lightness of the aromas contrast with the deep sweet flavours that remain in the mouth. This is a tea that is to be slowly savoured over the course of multiple, long infusions. It is, however, not meant for fans of strong umami, given that this sencha has almost no umami.

Technical description
Type of tea: Futsumushi sencha (normal-steamed sencha)
Origin: Nyûjima, Umegashima area, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Cultivar: "zairai" indigenous species
Harvest: May 16th, 2026