Japanese Green Tea

• Shincha News Flash! (Birthplace of Uji Tea, as of May 2)
• Started the Pre-order Sale of Shincha Teas!
• [New & Limited] Matcha Bowls / Accessories (Spring and Summer)
• [Mother's Day Gifts] How About Hibiki-an's Gifts?
• [New] YOHKAN (sweet bean jelly)
• (Notice) Our Website is Secure; NO Risk From "Heartbleed" SSL issue

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 'Shincha News Flash! (Birthplace of Uji Tea, as of May 2)'.

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Shincha News Flash! (Birthplace of Uji Tea / Around May 2)

We have been following the green tea sprouts from early spring when the tea trees put out their first new buds to the harvest of Shincha, the first tea of the year. Now, we bring you the latest breaking news and information from Hibiki-an's tea farm in Ujitawara in Kyoto!

Around May 2: (Birthplace of Uji Tea)

Tea farms at Ohbuku area where is surrounded by mountain ravines. And tiny streams running at Obuku area.	Late cherry blossoms flapping in the wind	Tea sprouts for machine trimmed as of May 2
Tea sprouts harvested by hand appear differently than those harvested by machine.	Tea sprouts as of May 2 for hand picked	The tea jar was used to bestow tea leaves harvested in Ujitawara to the Japanese Emperors.

This April was ideal for tea sprout growth. We experienced mild weather, the perfect amount of rain, in moderation, and pleasant warm, sunny days. In the last half of April, it rained on the 18th, 20th, 21st 28th, and 29th, and thus we were fortunate to avoid the late spring frost, which can ruin tea sprouts. So, the tea sprouts have been growing quickly and vigorously. This year's harvest will probably start May 7 or 10 which is the usual time of year or perhaps a few days later. Judging from the tea sprout growth and weather in the last few weeks, it is expected that this year's crops will have a more generous and excellent flavor than recent years.

Tea trees harvested by hand grow differently than those harvested by machine. In the case of tea trees trimmed by machine, tea sprouts grow from the previously trimmed stubble. By contrast, in the case of tea trees picked by hand, tea sprouts shoot from the natural forks in the branches. The flavor and aroma of hand picked tea is much more mellow and smooth than tea trimmed by machine and the leaves are of higher quality. Tea leaves that are picked by hand can generally be harvested a few days earlier than tea leaves trimmed by machine.

Obuku is the first place where tea trees were planted in the Uji region of Japan. They were planted by Kohken, a Buddhist monk, around A.D.1271, after Eisai popularized the idea of tea drinking in Japan around A.D.1191. Obuku is a small area of land with a diameter of less than one mile (600 meters). Even today, Obuku is known for producing very rare, highest grade Sencha. In Japan, there are only a few places where top grade Sencha is produced, and the Obuku area in Ujitawara is one of them.
Obuku is located in mountain ravines, where tiny streams run, and the soil is full of minerals. The misty climate, sloping hills, warm days and cool nights provide a very ideal setting to grow the highest grade tea. Indeed, Sencha produced in the Obuku area was presented to the Japanese Emperors for many years. The tea leaves for our Sencha Pinnacle and Sencha Super Premium are grown in the Obuku area, the birth place of Uji tea, and picked by skilled hands.

We have been arranging to add Sencha Pinnacle and Sencha Super Premium to our line of 2014 Shincha teas, and we started accepting pre-orders. Would you check them once.

Shincha teas:
Shincha (the first tea of the year) is harvested starting at the beginning of May in Kyoto.
We are now taking pre-roders for some limited edition Shincha teas only available this Shincha harvest season. Celebrate our first tea harvest of the year with Hibiki-an's Shincha and enjoy the remarkable fresh flavor, which can only be experienced once every year!

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

Started the Pre-order Sale of Shincha Teas!

The harvest of Shincha (the first tea of the year) is just around the corner!
We, at Hibiki-an, started to accept pre-orders of Shincha today. We have been arranging four limited edition Shincha teas and three regular Sencha teas with especially enjoyable Shincha flavor for pre-order sales as described below. We anticipate that each Shincha will be shipped in order of precedence as soon as it is harvested. To pre-order, please go through the usual order process.
Celebrate our first tea harvest of the year with Hibiki-an's Shincha and enjoy the remarkable fresh flavor, which can only be experienced once every year!

Limited edition Shincha teas

All four Shicha teas below are limited edition of 1,200 packages each ONLY AVAILABLE this harvest season. We have arranged various types of Shincha, which will be specially finished to enjoy Shincha's refreshing aroma and flavor.
We hope you will enjoy the refreshing aroma and smooth flavor of Shincha!

[Limited] Shincha Traditional (80g/2.82oz): US$27.00 (Now Pre-orders Taken: Anticipated to be shipped around on May 12 or 16) These tea leaves are finished in the traditional Uji/Kyoto style. Therefore the astringent refreshing aroma and mellow flavor are prominent, and the harmony is excellent...

[Limited] Shincha AOTE (80g/2.82oz): US$25.00 (Now Pre-orders Taken: Anticipated to be shipped around on May 9 or 13) As requested, we have added this new Shincha tea. With Shincha AOTE, the astringent refreshing aroma and bitter taste is moderated, the tea color is greener, and the taste is mellower...

[Limited] Shincha Fukamushi (80g/2.82oz): US$22.00 (Now Pre-orders Taken: Anticipated to be shipped around on May 9 or 13) Saemidori breed brings us pleasure in the springtime, to consider the unique flavor and early-ripening. Enjoy the sweet and smooth taste unique to this tea, as well as the fresh aroma...

[Limited] Farmers' Shincha (160g/5.64oz): US$28.00 (Now Pre-orders Taken: Anticipated to be shipped around on May 12 or 16) Enjoy the natural taste and refreshing aroma of this "Aracha" Shincha at an affordable price. "Aracha" is unprocessed tea that Japanese farmers have been enjoying for centuries...

Regular Sencha teas with especially enjoyable Shincha flavor

For pre-orders, we chose three regular teas especially recommended to enjoy Shincha's remarkable refreshing aroma and fresh and smooth flavor.

[Shincha] Sencha Pinnacle (40g/1.41oz): US$28.00 (Now Pre-orders Taken: Anticipated to be shipped around on May 9 or 13) Sencha Pinnacle, which is the highest quality Sencha produced in Japan,is the same type of tea which has been presented to the Japanese emperor for many years. This item is grown at the same tea farm with tea that has been presented to the Japanese Emperor, and harvested in the same way, picked by skilled hands...

[Shincha] Sencha Super Premium (40g/1.41oz): US$22.00 (Now Pre-orders Taken: Anticipated to be shipped around on May 12 or 16) Sencha Super Premium, along with our Sencha Pinnacle, is the highest quality Sencha produced in Japan. Each leaf is specially selected and carefully picked by our farmers' skilled hands. With this special tea, you can enjoy the same Shincha flavor enjoyed by Japanese Emperors...

[Shincha] Organic Sencha Premium (100g/3.53oz): US$25.00 (Now Pre-orders Taken: Anticipated to be shipped around on May 17 or 21) Organic Sencha's harvest generally starts 7 to 10 days later than conventional grown Sencha. The feature of the flavor is very simple and traditional. We imagine that the Shincha flavor enjoyed hundreds of years ago in historical Japan was just like this. Would you enjoy the simple Shincha flavor that was enjoyed long, long ago?...

(Note)
If you pre-order the above items together with regular Hibiki-an items, all items from your order will be shipped together at the same time when they are all available. The above shipping dates are good estimates, but the actual shipping date may be a few days earlier or later due to unpredictable weather conditions for the harvest.

What is Shincha?: click here

[New & Limited] Matcha Bowls / Accessories (Spring and Summer)

We have arranged for 10 limited edition, and two new Matcha Starter Sets. The 10 limited edition Matcha Bowl are all available only this spring and summer season.
Some of the items are designed with modern, sophisticated style, while others use traditional handcrafted techniques for a more traditional design.
We have chosen items that are of exceptional quality yet reasonable in price. They will certainly enrich and enhance your green moment.

[Limited] HAJIRAI (handcrafted Matcha Bowl): US$185.00 HAJIRAI of this name means bashfulness in Japanese. White glaze and pink color on the base, both outside and inside, and its unique form, remind us of the blush of a maiden. It also reminds us of the breezy and carefree springtime...

[Limited] MUGEN SAKURA (handcrafted Matcha Bowl): US$185.00 This Matcha bowl is graceful and dignified. The combination of the paintings and the decoration of gold brings an extremely elegant atmosphere. The harmony and contrast of natural soil and the elegant decoration are very rare and unique...

[Limited] ORIBE MENTORI (handcrafted Matcha Bowl): US$110.00 ORIBE is a green color used in traditional pottery. MENTORI describes the surfaces created by carving away the clay. The traditional green color glaze, ORIBE green, is named after historical tea master, Oribe Furuta...

[Limited] HANA KESSHO GIN FUJI (handcrafted Matcha Bowl): US$106.00 This porcelain Matcha Bowl creates an aura of elegance and unique pleasant cooling sensation. HANA of this name means flower and KESSHO means crystal in Japanese. This item is finished by the technique called Crystal glaze...

[Limited] AYAME (handcrafted Matcha Bowl): US$93.00 AYAME of this name means iris in Japanese. Traditional drawing patterns on this Matcha Bowl are dynamically and elegantly shaped with a unique and ingenious form. Orange patches called GOHONDE deepen the atmosphere...

[Limited] KYO no HARU (handcrafted Matcha Bowl): US$85.00 (Temporally Out of Stock: Sold more than our expectation. Anticipated to get available again around May 10 or 12. ) KYO of this name means KYOTO and HARU means spring in Japanese. SAKURA cherry blossoms, painted on this Matcha Bowl, are well-loved flowers, symbolizing springtime, in Japan. Considering the price and quality, this Matcha bowl is an outstanding value...

[Limited] IRABO (handcrafted Matcha Bowl): US$85.00 This Matcha bowl is one of the most traditional and standard called IRABO CHAWAN. This style features a yellow IRABO glaze and the typical form called IDO GATA...

[Limited] GEPPAKUYU (handcrafted Matcha Bowl): US$85.00 This Matcha Bowl has a tranquil, elegant, and a little cute atmosphere, and when held in both hands, creates a calming effect. Matcha Bowl having such character is quite rare, but sought after...

[Limited] HYO RETSU (handcrafted Matcha Bowl): US$85.00 HYO RETSU, which means cracked ice in Japanese, is a very traditional Japanese glazing technique. This technique intentionally creates an intricate network of thin surface cracks in the glaze...

[New] KYO no HARU Matcha Starter Set: US$113.00 (Temporally Out of Stock: Sold more than our expectation. Anticipated to get available again around May 10 or 12. ) This Starter Set is the minimum set including only the essential tea ware for a perfect bowl of Matcha. And this includes KYO no HARU handcrafted Matcha Bowl, painted elegantly by typical Kyo Yaki style...

[New] IRABO Matcha Starter Set: US$111.00 This Starter Set is the minimum set including only the essential tea ware for a perfect bowl of Matcha. IRABO handcrafted Matcha Bowl and KUROCHIKU Banboo Whisk create the WABI SABI atmosphere...

Teapots / Cups shopping page: click here
Matcha Bowls / Accessories shopping category: click here

[Mother's Day Gifts] How About Hibiki-an's Gifts?

Have you chosen a Mother's Day gift? 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 Mother's Day.

"Celebration Gifts in Japan" page: click here

[New] YOHKAN (sweet bean jelly): US$17.50

YOHKAN sweet bean jelly is one of the most popular and classic confections in Japan along with OHIGASHI candy and OKAKI rice cracker. Indeed AN bean jam, which is the main ingredient of YOHKAN, is the most essential ingredient of WAGASHI traditional Japanese confections. It has a unique texture and sweetness which pairs well with all kinds of Japanese tea.
We developed four flavors of YOHKAN with an established AN bean jam manufacturer located in Kyoto. Our four flavors of YOHKAN are manufactured with careful attention to quality and domestic ingredients...
(visit the shopping page: click here)

Starting from the left to right, OHSHIMA, OGURA, YUZU, and UME		Wrapped and decorated with WASHI Japanese paper

YOHKAN (sweet bean jelly) US$17.50 shopping page: click here
Japanese Snacks / Candy 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