Japanese Green Tea

• Shincha News Flash!
• Status of Shincha Limited Items
• Replacement Status of Regular Items by 2009 New Crop
• A Tip to Enjoy Shincha
• What is Shincha?
  

Shincha News Flash!

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!

Harvest in May
Stored in the granary
In contrast to Sencha, which is enjoyed for its freshness immediately after harvest, Gyokuro and Matcha gain an enriched flavor over time, and so are best some months after harvest. A long time ago, people celebrated aged Gyokuro as the "Shincha of Gyokuro" in Autumn. Some Gyokuro lovers seek out "Kuradashi Gyokuro" which has been enriched over a few years time. "Kuradashi Gyokuro" means Gyokuro taken out from the granary. Present storage techniques enable tea farmers to keep tea leaves fresh for almost one entire year. Gyokuro lovers favor both fresh Gyokuro and enriched Kuradashi Gyokuro. It just depends on each person's individual taste and preference. Today "Kuradashi Gyokuro" enriched by time is growing in popularity. We, Hibiki-an, plan to produce a very small quantity of Gyokuro tea leaves and store them in the granary in the traditional way in order to make "Kuradashi Gyokuro". Like a fine wine aged in the cellar, these tea leaves have been stored since the harvest in May 2008 and will be ready for sale in Autumn 2009. We will be selling this special "Kuradashi Gyokuro" in mid-Autumn. Please wait and see!

As soon as we finish harvesting the Shincha, we begin pruning the tea trees. There are two different ways to prune according to different needs. The first way is in order for tea trees to stop growing and rest. In this case, tree trees are more deeply pruned. Most of the tea leaves are pruned, so the trees almost stop their photosynthesis and stop growing too. So the tree trees can rest. The benefit of this way is less strain on the tea trees and the expectation of a good harvest for the next season. However, in this case, tea leaves are harvested only one time in the year, so this is a luxury. The second way is used for preparing Nibancha, the second harvest of the year. In this case, the tree trees are more shallowly pruned. It is possible to process these pruned tea leaves into premium grade Houjicha, which is made from Ichibancha, the first harvest of the year. Even Houjicha made from Ichibancha, premium grade Houjicha, can be made from tea leaves only after the harvest of high grade Sencha, which has an excellent refreshing aroma. Only about five percent of Houjicha is made in this way and can therefore be considered to be premium grade Houjicha. But Hibiki-an's Houjicha is premium grade and is made in this way. Our busiest season will continue some more.

Kyoto Japan Agricultural Cooperative Association Trade Show	Buying and selling tea	Tea leaves waiting to be bid upon
Aracha is green tea that has been processed by the farmer, but is not finally finished. It is either sold directly to the wholesale house or bid on at the Kyoto Japan Agricultural Cooperative Association (Kyoto Prefecture Headquarters of the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations). At the Kyoto Japan Agricultural Corporative Association, over half of the tea at the show is grown in Uji. These events are held three times every week throughout the harvest season at the Kyoto Japan Agricultural Cooperative Association. At the peak, over one hundred tons of tea leaves are collected and dealt on one day. Buyers consider the breed, location of the tea farm, farm or family name, tea quantity, and so on. They also thoroughly test the quality of the tea when they tender a bid. To appreciate the quality of the tea, they carefully check the water color and clarity as well as the brightness of the appearance of the tea leaves. They will not accept defective leaves which do not have enough brilliance or cloudy water color. To judge them, unfailing discriminating technique is required. (Our litmited edition Farmers' Shincha is "Aracha" Shincha. You can enjoy the natural taste and refreshing aroma of this "Aracha" Shincha at an affordable price.)

Hand picked Gyokuro harvest scene: Gyokuro is grown under diffused sunlight for 20 to 30days just before harvest. The above pictures show hand picked Gyokuro harvest scenes in "Honzu" which is the traditional way of diffusing sunlight and are now quite rare. "Honzu" is made with reeds and straw, and only for highest grade Gyokuro like our Kuradashi Gyokuro Pinnacle. Now only less than 10 farmers in all of Japan use "Honzu".
The harvest of tea leaves for our middle grade Sencha is at its height. Our Superior grade teas will be replaced by Shincha (2009 harvest new crop) soon. The harvest of tea leaves for Gyokuro and Matcha started around May 15. In general, for Japanese green tea, modern storage techniques enable to keep tea leaves fresh for approximately one year. So each year at reputable tea sellers such as Hibiki-an, green tea is replaced with the new crop. Gyokuro and Matcha gain an enriched flavor over time, and are traditionally enjoyed some months after harvest. In fact, a very special type of Gyokuro called "Kuradashi Gyokuro" is aged for a few years, like a fine red wine. Today's Gyokuro lovers favor both fresh Gyokuro and enriched Kuradashi Gyokuro. We, Hibiki-an, plan to produce a very small quantity of Gyokuro tea leaves and store them in the granary in the traditional way in order to make "Kuradashi Gyokuro". We will be selling "Kuradashi Gyokuro" this Autumn. Please wait and see! If you would like to enjoy fresh Gyokuro, please visit our website and look for our 2009 harvest new crop Gyokuro. Just a few days ago, we started to sell our limited edition Shincha Gyokuro. Gyokuro Pinnacle and Gyokuro Super Premium already have been replaced by the 2009 harvest new crop.

Processing factory having traditional atmosphere, which is now very rare.	Steaming process	Drying and crumpling process
Tea leaves just finished crumpling process and waiting shaping process	Shaping process	Just finished processing (Completed "Aracha")
"Aracha"/Processing steps: Now is the time for the Shincha (Sencha) harvest that we have all been waiting for! From the time the sprouts grow enough to the time the leaves become too large to harvest is just a few days. So tea leaves for Shincha (Sencha) must be harvested as quickly as possible in one long stretch. Many tea processing facilities will work non-stop, holding an all-night vigil for the Shincha. After being picked or trimmed, fresh tea leaves are processed the same day. Processing steps are 1) Steaming, 2) Drying and Crumpling, and 3) Shaping. It is said that the Steaming step is the most difficult and requires skill and experience, even though the steaming time is just 30 to 60 seconds. If tea leaves are steamed heavier, the astringency and refreshing aroma that characterizes Sencha is destroyed. On the contrary, if tea leaves are not steamed enough, the taste will not be good at all. Farmers arrange the steaming temperature and steaming time, considering the conditions of picked fresh tea leaves (thickness of tea leaves, how soft, and so on). Aracha is green tea that has been processed by the farmer, but is not finally finished. It is unique simple flavor, so that it has been enjoying for centuries. Our litmited edition Farmers' Shincha is "Aracha" Shincha. You can enjoy the natural taste and refreshing aroma of this "Aracha" Shincha at an affordable price.) May is a time for celebration - to enjoy a fresh cup of Shincha to celebrate the first harvest of the year. But, soon after the end of the Sencha harvest, the Gyokuro and Matcha harvest begins! Because of this, May is definitely the busiest time of the year. Tea farmers will remain hard at work until at least the end of the month.

The rain in the harvest season is a great blessing and a hassle at the same time
Butterfly taking shelter from rain under tea leaf	A ladybird and tea sprouts for Organic Sencha Premium as of May 9	The organic Shincha harvest is about to begin in a few days
Rain in the harvest season: In May, throughout the Shincha Harvest season, it often rains in Kyoto. During this time, the flavor an aroma of the tea leaves is deepened by the rain. Indeed, tea leaves harvested on the day after a rain are frequently deeper in flavor and aroma. However, if tea leaves are harvested covered in rain drops, it ruins the quality of the tea. This low quality tea is called TSUYU-ME, meaning sprouts with rain drops. Besides, tea leaves grow quickly after the rain and easily grow too large to harvest. These are the reasons why rain in the harvest season bothers tea farmers. And if it rains in the early stage of the harvest season, the tea leaves prices go up sharply. The amount of tea leaves harvested and placed on the market dramatically decreases because rain hampers the harvest. Certainly, the rain in the harvest season is a great blessing and a hassle at the same time. Just before organic Shincha harvest: The Shincha harvest of conventionally grown teas began some days ago. On the other hand, the Shincha harvest of organic tea is about to begin in a few days. Our organic teas are grown with only natural organic fertilizers, which work slowly. Therefore organic Shincha tea is generally harvested 7 to 10 days later than conventionally grown teas. Therefore, our Organic Shincha Premium will be available in just 3 or 4 days. You can pre-order now and it will ship as soon as it is available.

Now is the time for the Shincha (Sencha) harvest that we have all been waiting for! Shincha harvest started in the Uji region a few days ago. Today most tea leaves are trimmed by machine and traditional hand picked Sencha is rarely grown and is therefore very precious. The flavor and aroma of hand picked Sencha is much more mellow and refreshing than tea trimmed by machine. Even a skilled tea harvester can hand pick just up to 6 to 8kg of fresh tea leaves all through the day. The picked fresh tea leaves are processed and finished, at which point the total weight of the tea leaves is only about 18% of the fresh tea leaves. Even if about 20 skilled tea harvesters pick all through the day, we can only gather around 25 kg of finished precious hand picked Sencha. From the time the sprouts appear to the time the leaves become too large to harvest is just a few days. So tea leaves for Shincha (Sencha) must be harvested as quickly as possible in one long stretch. Therefore it is never easy to pick large amounts of tea leaves by skilled hands in just a few days. Top grade tea, hand picked Sencha is grown only in quite a small amount, because there is only one small place in all of the world perfect for farming this special tea - a tiny area of land located right here in the Uji region of Japan. Therefore, hand picked Sencha is very precious. At last, we can celebrate the first tea harvest of the year with Shincha and enjoy its wonderful fresh flavor! (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.)

Tea sprouts for hand picked as of May 2	Tea sprouts for machine trimmed as of May 2	Tea trees flooded sunlight just before harvest
Finally, the Shincha harvest is about to begin in a few days in Ujitawara! Therefore, our Shincha teas will be available in just 3 or 4 days. You can pre-order Shincha now and it will ship as soon as it is available. Tea sprouts and trees just before the Shincha harvest are a beautiful sight! Flooded in sunlight and full of nutrients, they are bright, lush, and vivid green. The green color has changed from yellowish green to bright green during the past few days. It is a sign of the best timing for harvest. Farmers have made great efforts throughout the year to prepare the tea trees for this harvest. Since April, the sun has been getting stronger every day. Especially in the last two weeks, there were many warm days as if it were early summer. The tea sprouts have been growing well, very quickly. Please wait and see this year's Shincha, which will be available in just a few days.

Conventionally grown tea tree sprouts as of April 25	Conventionally grown tea trees	Organic tea tree sprouts as of April 26. They have been growing a little more slowly than conventionally grown tea sprouts.
Organically grown tea trees. The brown portions of tea leaves have been eaten by bugs in last summer and autumn.	Organically grown tea trees	Tea trees for hand picked
Organic tea has a simple and traditional flavor similar to teas grown many years ago in ancient Japan. With organic tea, you can taste the natural features of the type of tea, soil, climate, and efforts by the farmer. All of our organic teas are certified by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan. They are grown with only natural organic fertilizers and no agricultural chemicals or pesticides. Organic fertilizer works slowly. In contrast, chemical fertilizer works quickly and efficiently in about a month, while organic fertilizer works slowly for 3 to 9 months. Therefore organic Shincha tea is generally harvested 7 to 10 days later than conventionally grown teas. The simple and traditional flavor of organic tea must be very close to the Shincha flavor which people enjoyed and celebrated a long time ago. Organic Sencha Premium is now taken for pre-orders for Shincha. Now the sun is getting stronger every day and especially after April 20, the tea sprouts have been growing very quickly. There are only around 10 days left until the Shincha (Sencha) harvest, which is the busiest season of the year for our tea farmers! And at organic tea farm Shincha (Sencha) harvest will start about 10 days later than conventionally grown teas.

Tea leaves for Sencha (Shincha) as of April 22	"Tana" made with modern building materials	"Honzu" made with reeds and straw is a traditional style of "Tana"
Building "Honzu". Placing straws on the reed fram.	Inside of "Honzu"	Tea leaves in "Honzu"
The tea sprouts continue their daily growth, and now have two to three leaves. The harvest of Sencha (Shincha) is just around the corner! In contrast to Sencha, tea trees for Gyokuro and Matcha are now being covered with curtains. The structure of the picture on the center of upper side is called "Tana". Tea leaves for Gyokuro and Matcha are carefully grown under diffused sunlight for twenty to thirty days before harvesting, creating Theanine, which gives the tea a wonderfully sweet taste. Tea leaves for Gyokuro or Matcha are grown under diffused sunlight in three steps, (1) we cover only over the top of the tea trees, (2) we cover the sides, and (3) we put an additional covering over the top to create more shade. It enables us to adjust the level of shade and sunlight. It is difficult to assess the timing and takes skill and practice to grow perfect green tea. If covered using inappropriate timing, tea sprouts don't grow enough or create enough Theanine, which gives the tea its characteristic sweetness. Tea spouts for Gyokuro and Matcha will start to be harvested around on and after the middle to end of May. "Honzu" is a very special way of building "Tana". It is the traditional way of diffusing sunlight from long ago, and these days it is very rare to see, even in the Uji region. In the "Honzu" method, tea farmers build a structure to provide shade to the tea trees using only reeds and straw. Old-style reeds and straw provide the ideal shade for tea trees. And it is said that the constituents exuded from the straw through the rainwater exercise good effects on the tea leaves. However, it is not easy to build this structure of reeds and straw, to gather so much reeds and straw, and to manage to keep the "Honzu" in good condition throughout the growing season. For example, if a strong wind blew just after placement of the straw, the straw would be blown away and ruined. If it rains once after the placement of the straw, the rainwater firms the structure. Today only less than 10 farmers in all of Japan manage "Honzu" (only in Ogura and a few other areas in the Uji region). Our Kuradashi Gyokuro Pinnacle, which is limited edition only available in autumn, is grown in diffused sunlight under the reed and straw "Honzu". Please wait and see. Meanwhile, the tea leaves for Sencha (Shincha) are being generously flooded with light. There is only about ten days or more left until the Shincha (Sencha) harvest!

Tea sprouts for machine trimmed as of April 19	Tea sprouts as of April 19 for hand picked. Tea sprouts harvested by hand appear differently than those harvested by machine.	Tea trees for machine trimmed.
Tea trees for hand picked. You can tell the difference of both tea trees.	Tiny streams running at Obuku area, birth place of Uji tea.	Obuku area is surrounded by mountain ravines.
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 Super Premium to our line of 2009 Shincha teas, and hopefully soon we can start accepting pre-orders. Please wait and see.

At this time, it is possible for the cold weather to return, but it rarely frosts. A frost in spring is devastating because it completely ruins any tea sprouts. Electric fans are strategically placed around the tea trees to stir the air during March and April to avoid 'spring frost.' We must pay attention to the lowest temperature of each day until the end of April. At last cherry blossoms here in Ujitawara in mountain ravines are at their best this week. Though this winter was mild weather, the relatively cold weather has been experiencing in late March and early April in Kyoto. Judging from the tea sprout growth and weather in the last few weeks, this year's harvest will likely come not earlier nor later but at the usual time. It is about three weeks or more until the Shincha harvest.

Many brooks run in and around our tea farms. All of them are pure, calm and clear. As you may know, high grade and quality tea grows in mountainous regions, specifically in lush valleys surrounded by mountains. Our tea farms are located upstream in the mountains, so all of the brooks in and around our tea farms are quite clean, pure and untouched as they come straight out from the mountain rocks and earth. Mist is another geographical feature essential for growing high grade and quality tea. These brooks and the difference in temperatures between day and night work to create mist, which keeps the air and earth moist and perfect for growing green tea. And this is cherry blossom season in Japan. The beautiful pink blossoms can be seen at parks which are filled with so many cherry trees, as well as scattered throughout famous temples and shrines. Kyoto's cherry blossoms were at their best this week. We took photos of the cherry trees at our tea farm. At last, the cherry blossoms at our farm in the lush valley surrounded by mountains will be in full bloom in a few days. Like the cherry trees, the tea sprouts have been steadily growing day by day. It is about a month until the Shincha harvest.

The cherry blossoms here in Ujitawara are about to bloom in a few days. This year, the cherry blossoms will bloom four or five days earlier than average because of the mild winter and warm weather in early March. It is said that this year's tea harvest will also start a little earlier than last year: supposedly it will start about three days early. But it is difficult to predict the exact date of the harvest. A few years ago, it was predicted that the tea harvest would begin early, but it started at the usual time. It depends on the weather over several weeks from the end of March until April. Our tea trees were fed a generous amount of fertilizer last Autumn. Then they were fed fertilizer again at the end of February to the middle of March. The old tea leaves have become a deep burnished green color. This is proof that the tea trees are absorbing enough nutrients from the fertilizer. It takes a few weeks to a month after being fertilized for the tea trees to fully absorb and then begin utilizing the nutrients. If new buds grow before the tea tree has finished fully absorbing the nutrients, then the taste of the tea leaves becomes less smooth and mellow. It is about one month or maybe a bit longer until the start of the Shincha harvest in Ujitawara in Kyoto. The months leading up to and surrounding the harvest are the busiest season for farmers.

The weather has begun to warm up just a little and the sky has changed from winter's heavy and dark gray to spring's light and clear blue here in Ujitawara, Kyoto. Little birds have started whispering, insects have come out of hiding and started acting up, and the babbling of a brook melts your heart. In Japan, it is said that spring really comes after the week of the equinox (March 20th). The cherry trees start to swell buds. Tea sprouts, too have now been starting to appear around March 20th.

Status of Shincha Items

	Shincha Traditional (80g/2.82oz): US$28.00 (Out of stock) 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.
	Shincha Fukamushi (80g/2.82oz): US$24.00 (Out of stock) 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.
	Farmers' Shincha (160g/5.64oz): US$29.00 (Out of stock) 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.

[New] Shincha Gyokuro (80g/2.82oz): US$26.00 (Out of stock) With our Shincha Gyokuro you can enjoy both the refreshing aroma of Shincha and the mellow smooth taste of Gyokuro in one cup of tea. In the tea industry, it is called "Kabuse Cha".

	Sencha Pinnacle (40g/1.41oz): US$33.00 (Now available) 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.
	Sencha Super Premium (40g/1.41oz): US$24.00 (Now available) This item is grown at the same tea farm with tea that has been presented to the Japanese Emperor for many hundreds of years, and harvested in the same way, picked by skilled hands. With this special tea, you can enjoy the same Shincha flavor enjoyed by Japanese Emperors.
	Sencha Premium (100g/3.53oz): US$28.00 (Now available) This item is grown at Ujitawara known for producing high grade Sencha, located in mountain ravines, with mineral-rich soil. The misty climate, sloping hills, warm days and cool nights create the excellent smooth flavor and refreshing aroma.
	Organic Sencha Premium (100g/3.53oz): US$27.00 (Now available) 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?

A Tip to Enjoy Shincha

What is Shincha?