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, the town now primarily produces steamed tamaryokucha. Furthermore, these tamaryokucha mostly shaded and produced in the style of fukamushi. However, this particular tamaryokucha was not shaded and was standard steamed, making it closer to a traditional tamaryokucha.

The nose
In the nose, there are fragrances of grilled rice and maize, clearly recognizable of Sayama-midori. We also find the warm sensation of tamaryokucha.

The mouth
On the palate, the tea’s aromas reappear strongly. The infusion is round, fluid, velvety, and slightly sweet. It has an umami that is subtly felt and the tea is without astringency.
There is a pleasant, light, sweet persistence, giving an overall experience that is rather refreshing.

Summary
This Sayama-midori tamaryokucha has very recognizable aromatic characteristics and a fine roundness, making it sure to please both experts and beginners alike.

Technical description
Type of tea : Mushi-sei tamaryoku-cha (“guri-cha” – curly tea)
Origin : Ureshino Town, Ureshino City, Saga Prefecture
Cultivar : Sayama-midori
Harvest : May 14th, 2026