Cultivar and technical information
In 1922, the seeds of Manipuli varieties from Assam were introduced to Shizuoka. Shizu-inzatsu 131 was selected in the '40s from seeds that were crossed between Manipuli 15 and a Japanese tea tree variety. The father of Inzatsu 131—the researcher Arima Toshihar—saw the cultivar as being adapted to the Westernization of Japanese diets with its character and very strong aromas. Despite its Indian roots, the cultivar was intended for green teas, sencha and kamairicha. While the cultivar was never registered, it was nonetheless used for other crosses, giving us Sôfû and Fuji-kaori, for example.
To avoid excessively bringing out the tannins, this sencha was produced without the use of a machine called jûnenki, which is used during the second rolling stage. It was also produced without the weight of a seijûki, a machine used during the fourth stage that gives the leaves their needle shape. This allows for an approach that more closely original rolling methods, rather than what was developed later in Shizuoka. The approach from Shizuoka has since become the standard and it applies more pressure on the leaves than the method used in this case.
The tea also underwent a wilting process before it was steamed.

The nose
The fragrance is dominated by the cultivar’s characteristic green pea and asparagus notes. We also find small, spicy flower nuances.

The mouth
The attack in the mouth is powerful, but the astringency remains very moderate. At the same time, the infusion is surprising by the non-negligible presence of the umami. Overall, the impression in the mouth is very sweet. There are also the tea’s classic aromas that blend flavours of vegetables and white flowers. The persistence in the mouth is truly exceptional.
In the mouth, subsequent infusions always have the same intensity and the tea’s ever so unique aromas.

Summary
This sencha from Kawane is able to make best use of Inzatsu 131 extreme robustness, giving the tea a lot of roundness. Given the cultivar, the unusual rolling method employed was likely a judicious choice. While it might not be for everyone, this tea is genuinely exceptional.

Technical description
Type of tea : Futsumushi (normal-steamed) sencha
Origin : Aobe, Kawane-honchô Town, Shizuoka Prefecture
Cultivar : Inzatsu 131
Harvest : May 2nd, 2026