Cultivar and technical information
As its name indicates, the Sayama-midori cultivar was developed at the Saitama Prefecture research centre. It was one of the first fifteen tea cultivars to have ever been registered, in 1953. Sayama-midori was selected from tea tree seeds indigenous to Uji. Despite having once been widespread throughout the country, Sayama-midori is now very rare; it is much harder to find than—for example—Sayama-kaori, which is also a very different variety.
This tea comes from a tea garden located in Ureshino, in Saga Prefecture, at 500 m (1640 ft) in altitude.
The town of Ureshino was previously famous for a long time for kamairicha, but the town now primarily produces steamed tamaryokucha.

The nose
This kamairicha has a complex fragrance with grilling notes unique to this type of tea. Alongside these notes, we also find nuances of berries and cooked rice.

The mouth
Initially, this tea is light, fluid, and velvety on the palate. But the tea’s grilling and berry notes then reappear. This kamairicha has very little astringency and marries subtle sweetness with discreet umami. In the mouth, it has a sweet, fruity end that is long and intense.
Subsequent infusions are warmer and—in the nose—strongly have the tea’s ashy-cooked rice notes, clearly recognizable of Sayama-midori. At the same time—in the mouth—the infusion remains delicate and fluid.

Summary
This Sayama-midori is richly unique. It may not be a classic kamairicha from Kyûshû, but it delivers a wonderful aromatic richness.

Technical description
Type of tea: Kama-iri cha
Origin: Bôzubaru, Ureshino town, Ureshino city, Saga Prefecture
Cultivar: Sayama-midori
Harvest: May 14th, 2026