Japanese Green Tea

• Growing Competition Tea (Competition Grade Tea)
• [Limited] Competition Grade Tea / Blended Sencha Items: Now Available!
• Valentine's Day Gifts
• [New] Coaster Value Sets
• ANAGAMA Flower Vases: Now Available!
• (Notice) Share your favorite Hibiki-an tea and teaware on Facebook and Twitter!

Dear Sir and Madam,

We at Hibiki-an THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your continued patronage and support. We are pleased to offer useful information for your healthy life and continued enjoyment of Japanese green tea. In this issue, we talk about 'Growing Competition Tea (Competition Grade Tea)'.

Growing Competition Tea (Competition Grade Tea)

Competition Grade Tea and Belended Sencha are now available. They are all limited edition only available this winter season.

Growing competition grade tea requires a surprising amount of money and effort. We introduce a few topics on competition grade tea below.

(Fertilizing)
Fertilizer for competition grade tea costs several times more than usual high grade tea. A few times amount and more expensive fertilizer is used. For example, the below pictures show herrings used as fertilizer. Whole herrings, which are also edible for humans, are fragmented into small pieces, and they are carefully distributed at the roots of the tea trees and among the tea trees. When the tea trees absorb the nutrition of fertilizer, the tea leaves for competition tea have an amazing glossy brilliance, much more so than tea leaves for other tea. Even the tea leaves for usual high grade hand picked tea shine more than common machine trimmed tea. You can see this in the below pictures. They are never unveiled.

(Shading)
In the case of Gyokuro and Matcha, one of the most difficult issues is knowing exactly when to shade the tea leaves from sunlight. If too early, tea leaves can't absorb nutrition and the flavor is weak. If too late, the noble mellow aroma is weak. As the time for shading approaches, the farmer carefully checks tea leaves growth and condition quite frequently. Our tea farmer says that when shade is required, the tea leaves talk and ask him to provide shade from sunlight.

(Harvest / Processing)
Competition tea is harvested when the tea tree has only one or two sprouts. In general, the flavor of the tea becomes more intense when the tea tree produces two to five sprouts. If the quantity of tea leaves is too small, the tea can’t be processed, so a good amount of tea leaves are required. Therefore, double or triple the number of hand pickers are needed. Arrangement of gathering hand pickers is one of the difficulties with growing competition tea.
Fresh tea leaves are processed just after harvest. Processing is one of the most important factors for competition tea. To process competition grade tea, the farmer has many special and wise techniques learned over generations and through trial and error, including subtle yet vitally important adjustments to temperature, time, and the production environment.

Herrings fragmented into small pieces just before being used as fertilizer	Herrings distributed at the roots of tea trees and among tea trees. Distributed a few times from the end of February to the end of March	This picture was taken at the end of March. Tea leaves for usual high grade hand picked tea have a lovely shine.
This picture was also taken at the end of March. These are leaves for competition grade tea. To compare both pictures, you can see that tea leaves for competition tea have an amazing glossy brilliance.	Because competition tea is harvested when the tea leaves are quite young, double or triple the number of hand pickers are needed.	This is the fire pit for Tencha (Matcha). To process competition grade tea, the farmer makes subtle yet vitally important adjustments to temperature, time, and the production environment.

(visit the Competition Grade Tea shopping category)

Are you enjoying your green moments? Hibiki-an encourages those who love to drink green tea. If you have any requests or questions regarding our teas or services, please don't hesitate to contact us. We sincerely hope that you enjoy genuine Hibiki-an Japanese green tea direct to you from Kyoto, Japan.

Sincerely yours,

Atsushi Yasui

[Limited] Competition Grade Tea / Blended Sencha Item

Competition Grade Tea and Blended Sencha are limited edition of just 400 packages each ONLY AVAILABLE this winter season.

Competition Grade Tea

[Limited] Competition Grade Gyokuro Pinnacle (40g/1.41oz) US$50.00 (Now Available: limited edition of 400 packages ONLY AVAILABLE this winter season) This Competition Grade Gyokuro Pinnacle has an excellent, deeply mellow taste. The National Tea Competition is held in order to improve Japanese tea agricultural and manufacturing techniques, and to congratulate and encourage those that have produced outstanding tea...

[Limited] Competition Grade Sencha Pinnacle (40g/1.41oz): US$37.00 (Now Available: limited edition of 400 packages ONLY AVAILABLE this winter season) Competition Grade Sencha Pinnacle is available only at the National Tea Fair, attended by tea connoisseurs and those within the Japanese green tea industry. This fine green tea has an excellent, deeply mellow taste...

[Limited] Competition Grade Matcha Pinnacle (20g/0.71oz) US$48.00 (Now Available: limited edition of 400 packages ONLY AVAILABLE this winter season) This Competition Grade Matcha Pinnacle has an excellent, deeply mellow taste. The National Tea Competition is held several times a year in Japan. Sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and attended by executives of the Japanese tea industry...

Blended Sencha

[Limited] Blended Sencha Super Premium (80g/2.82oz) US$30.00 (Now Available: limited edition of 400 packages ONLY AVAILABLE this winter season) Blended Sencha Super Premium is a blend of Ohiwase and Meiryoku breeds of green tea. These tea leaves are sprouts that are small and soft and not fully-grown...

[Limited] Blended Sencha Premium (80g/2.82oz) US$24.00 (Now Available: limited edition of 400 packages ONLY AVAILABLE this winter season) Blended Sencha Premium is a blend of Sencha and Gyokuro. This tea is composed of four breeds of green tea: Kanayamidori, Sayamakaori, Yabukita, and Okumidori...

What is Competition Grade Tea?: click here
What is Blended Sencha?: click here

Valentine's Day Gifts

Have you chosen a Valentine's Day gift for your loved ones? In Japan, green tea is often presented as a gift because it symbolizes a wish of good health and longevity. This tradition of giving green tea as a gift is as popular today as it has been throughout history. We give the gift of green tea for good health and long life of friends, family, and loved ones. A gift of genuine Japanese tea would make a perfect gift this Valentine's Day.

"Celebration Gifts in Japan" page: click here

[New] Coaster Value Sets

We have arranged some value sets of coasters, KARAKUSA KINRAN, KIKU BISHI, and TATAMI Coasters. Each item is value set of Coaster. With these sets, you receive a special value: 6 coasters for the price of 4! Would you check once?

[New] KARAKUSA KINRAN Coater Value Set (6 Coasters): US$30.00 This is a value set of 6 KARAKUSA KINRAN coasters. With this set, you receive a special value: 6 coasters for the price of 4! The premium fabric is called Hyohsoh, which is usually used for scroll paintings, folding screens, or Fusuma doors...

[New] KIKU BISHI Coaster Value Set (6 Coasters): US$16.00 This is a value set of 6 KIKU BISHI coasters. With this set, you receive a special value: 6 coasters for the price of 4! The traditional Japanese pattern is called KIKU BISHI. KIKU is the national flower of Japan, chrysanthemum in Japanese...

[New] HAZORI TAME CHATAKU (handcrafted saucer: pair): US$98.00 Yamanaka Nuri is well known for high quality lacquer ware. Especially remarkable aspects of these Chataku are elegant shine, color and form. HAZORI, name of these Chataku, means "warped pinion" in Japanese...

[New] KIN INAHO CHATAKU (handcrafted saucer : pair): US$82.00 Yamanaka Nuri is well known for high quality lacquer ware. Especially remarkable aspects of these Chataku are a garnish of gold color circle and beautiful pattern carved like a stalk of rice at harvest. KIN, name of these Chataku, means gold in Japanese. INAHO means "ear of rice"...

ANAGAMA Flower Vases

We have begun to sell very special Flower Vase fired in the most traditional kiln, ANAGAMA by the ceramic artist Mr. Hozan Tanii.
ANAGAMA is an ancestor of the climbing kiln, a traditional style of kiln built on an upward incline. There is never one ANAGAMA the same as any other. Each work is one of a kind. (Therefore, once sold, it will be out of stock.) ANAGAMA pottery is the art of the combination of earth and fire. It fascinates the artisan and touches the heart.
It is said that a ceramic vase for flower arrangement is one of the most important components of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony along with the Matcha Bowl. The artist Mr. Hozan Tanii has designed the ANAGAMA Flower Vase to harmonize with any style of flower or foliage. Both ANAGAMA pottery and all plant life are created from earthen soil. ANAGAMA pottery is part of the natural world, born from earth and fire, made from natural clay which is minimally refined and left to its inherent state and fired in the most ancient kiln. Hozan Tanii believes that ANAGAMA pottery is created as new harmonization in the natural world by God. It is the reason why the ANAGAMA Flower Vase can be harmonized with all flowers. And needless to say, his ANAGAMA Flower Vase has such a presence that it can be displayed with or without flowers in your tea space.
We, at Hibiki-an, are fortunate to be able to offer some of his ANAGAMA Flower Vase. Please take a look. You are sure to fall in love.

[ANAGAMA Flower Vase] UZUKUMARU Traditional: US$1,050.00 UZUKUMARU of this Flower Vase name means bow expressing sincere appreciation in Japanese. This form is one of the traditional Flower Vase shapes in tea ceremony. UZUKUMARU can be placed on a table or shelf, or hung on a wall...

[ANAGAMA Flower Vase] UZUKUMARU Sea Shells: US$1,100.00 Especially remarkable aspects of this Flower Vase include the pattern created by three sea shells on the front side and brownish green color BEEDORO glaze flowing off elegantly. UZUKUMARU can be placed on a table or shelf, or hung on a wall...

[ANAGAMA Flower Vase] TSUTSU HANAIRE: US$1,350.00 Mr. Hozan Tanii imagined the trunk of a tree strongly growing up toward the sun when he created this. Toward the base, this Flower Vase swells outward, expressing strength that the tree takes root in the earth. Spiral lines other than potter's wheel pattern are marked on the side...

[ANAGAMA Flower Vase] HIIRO KABIN: US$1,750.00 Especially remarkable aspects of this Flower Vase are soft and subtle HIIRO color with a calm and quiet elegance of form. The brownish gray color on the upper half is brought by natural ash glaze. The color is wonderfully soft and subtle...

[ANAGAMA Flower Vase] SHIZENYU KABIN: US$1,850.00 Especially remarkable aspects of this Flower Vase are dynamic and thrilling natural glaze brought by ANAGAMA kiln and a high-spirited, courageous persona. The green color BEEDORO glaze flows dynamic. The form of this Flower Vase is high-spirited and courageous...

[ANAGAMA Flower Vase] TETSUKI HANAIRE: US$3,800.00 Especially remarkable aspects of this Flower Vase are calm and gentle form, moderate and exquisite atmosphere of natural ash glaze and HIIRO color, and patterns of unrefined natural soil. All curves including the curve of the handle are very gentle and create the extreme beauty of asymmetric form...

[ANAGAMA Flower Vase] SHIZENYU MENTORI KABIN: US$5,200.00 At first glance, this Flower Vase appears bold and high-spirited like natural bare rock. Especially remarkable aspects of this Flower Vase are the contrast and harmony of the rough and high-spirited atmosphere of bare rock in perfect balance with the subtle, delicate, and elegant atmosphere on the lower half from middle to base as well as the neck...

"What is ANAGAMA Pottery?" page: click here
"ANAGAMA Matcha Bowls" shopping category: click here

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Japanese Green Tea Hibiki-an
36 Shimonoto Yuyadani
Ujitawara, Kyoto 610-0221
Japan
http://www.hibiki-an.com