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! (Efforts to Keep Tea Leaves in Good Condition)'.
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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 June 7: (Efforts to Keep Tea Leaves in Good Condition)
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| Packaging in 20kg vacuum sealed bags |
Cold storage chamber |
Grinding "Tencha" tea leaves with stone mill into Matcha powder |
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| Certification of Multiresidue GC Analysis. This analytical method covers 230 analytes. No analytes are detected. |
Report of heavy metal analysis |
Certification of non-radiation |
Efforts to Keep Tea Leaves in Good Condition:
We make continuous efforts at every single step from harvest of tea leaves to delivery to our customers. This encompasses the harvest, finishing process, storage at the factory, delivery, and ends with our customers all over the world being able to enjoy a farm-fresh cup of Japanese green tea.
"Aracha" tea leaves, just after harvest and processing by farmers, are brought to the factory. "Aracha" tea leaves are finished: sorted, dried, blended, and on so on. Then they are vacuum packed in 20kg (44.1lb) bags, and stored in a special cold storage chamber. Temperature in the cold storage chamber is kept at about 5C (41F) throughout the year.
The finished tea leaves are repackaged into smaller size bags just before shipment to our customers around the world. The remaining tea leaves are vacuum packed and stored in the cold storage chamber again. The smaller size bags are packaged with nitrogen in order to keep the tea in good condition even during international delivery.
The harvest season is the busiest time of year not only for farmers but also for the factory. All "Aracha" tea leaves can't be finished at one time. In fact, more than half of the unfinished "Aracha" tea leaves are vacuum packed and stored in the cold storage chamber until after the busy harvest season is over. The average tea factory handles ten to several hundred tons (1000 kilo grams) of tea leaves per year.
In the case of Matcha, tea leaves are stored in a cold storage chamber as "Tencha" tea leaves before being ground into the fine powder known as Matcha. Tencha is ground into Matcha just before shipment to the customer. If the finely powdered Matcha was stored for a longer time, it would more easily deteriorate.
As above, it is most important to vacuum pack or nitrogen pack the tea leaves at every single step just after "Aracha" tea leaves are brought into the factory, in order to keep the tea in ideal condition throughout the year. These processes protect the tea leaves from oxygen, heat, moisture, and light, and require a surprising amount of time and effort.
Analysis of Tea Leaves:
We periodically ask a third party laboratory to analyze our teas for residual pesticides, heavy metals, radiation, and so on, to ensure safety. Attached are images of the analysis report on this year's crops. No suspicious analytes were detected.
As above, our teas are continuously and strictly inspected. We strongly believe that ensuring the absolute safety of our products is most important. It is our sincere wish that our customers enjoy our teas at ease, with the knowledge that they can depend on us to provide them with a safe and wholesome product.
Shincha teas:
Shincha is now available. We have arranged to add some limited edition
Shincha items only available this Shincha harvest season, featuring a few
regular Sencha items with especially enjoyable Shincha flavor. 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!
What is Shincha?: click here
The Matcha and Gyokuro harvest started around May 20. Traditionally, Matcha
and Gyokuro are aged for several months after harvest to gain a more complex,
enriched flavor. However, today's tea connoisseurs desire the fresh flavor
of Matcha and Gyokuro just after harvest.
At last we have arranged Shincha Matcha with an amazing flavor that is
not only refreshing but also deeply smooth and mellow, so our customers
can try this fresh new style of Matcha. We are also pleased to offer Shincha
Gyokuro, which is now available.
Would you try the refreshing aroma and smooth, mellow taste of Shincha
Matcha and Shincha Gyokuro which can be enjoyed only at harvest time?
(Shincha Matcha Refill)
We at Hibiki-an have received many requests for a value refill package of Shincha Matcha. We have arranged to sell Shincha Matcha Refill. If you would like to purchase a large amount of Shincha Matcha in bulk, would you please take a look?
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(Now Available)
Recently, Shincha Matcha is enjoyed mainly among teachers or masters of tea ceremony. They enjoy the fresh flavor of Shincha Matcha. And they feel delight of the spring season, inspired by the fresh flavor of Shincha Matcha....
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(Now Available: As requested by many customers, this value package was newly added for the 2013 Shincha season.)
This Shincha Matcha Refill package is an excellent value. The price is actually discounted 20%. Over time, the refreshing aroma will moderate and the flavor will enrich, so that you can enjoy a subtle variation of aroma and flavor with each refill...
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(Now Available)
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"...
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Customer Reviews of Shincha Matcha: click here
Customer Reviews of Shincha Gyokuro: click here
At last, the Shincha Harvest started here in the Uji region!
Shincha teas are now available. We have arranged to add four limited edition Shincha items only available this Shincha harvest season, featuring a few regular Sencha items with especially enjoyable Shincha flavor. And other Sencha regular items are planned to be replaced later by Shincha step by step.
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!
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(Now Available)
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...
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(Now Available)
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...
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(Now Available)
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...
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(Now Available)
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...
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(Now Available)
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"...
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(Now Available)
Recently, Shincha Matcha is enjoyed mainly among teachers or masters of tea ceremony. They enjoy the fresh flavor of Shincha Matcha. And they feel delight of the spring season, inspired by the fresh flavor of Shincha Matcha....
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(Now Available: As requested by many customers, this value package was newly added for the 2013 Shincha season.)
This Shincha Matcha Refill package is an excellent value. The price is actually discounted 20%. Over time, the refreshing aroma will moderate and the flavor will enrich, so that you can enjoy a subtle variation of aroma and flavor with each refill...
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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.
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(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...
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(Now Available)
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...
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(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?...
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What is Shincha?: click here
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
We have arranged for 5 limited edition, a new Matcha Bowl, and a Accessory. The 5 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.
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This Matcha bowl is graceful and dignified. Combination of the paintings and the decoration of gold brings an extremely elegant atmosphere. NINSEI of this name means Ninsei Nonomura (circa 17th century), and TAKE means Bamboo in Japanese...
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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...
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HANA ASOBI has been one of Kohgiku Kiln's best selling items for more than 25 years. It has not been changed painting composition, shape, and so on for over 25 years. HANA of this name means flower, and ASOBI means pleasure or play...
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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...
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This Matcha bowl has outstanding value for the experienced tea masters or connoisseurs. This Matcha bowl is one of the most traditional and standard called KOBIKI CHAWAN...
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This white porcelain bowl is the perfect shape and size for Matcha preparation. The form and vertical line design are sophisticated. This will bring a clean and calm atmosphere...
(Related Item: click below)
[New] HAKUJI Matcha Starter Set: US$50.00
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There is certain tea ceremony schools use only KUROCHIKU Chasen. KUROCHIKU is one of Bamboo breed...
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Teapots / Cups shopping page: click here
Matcha Bowls / Accessories shopping category: click here
All of our merchandise prices were recently reduced due to exchange rate fluctuation. Tea Ware items too, are now priced quite low. This is an excellent opportunity to got Tea Ware. Enjoy!
(Notice) New Optimized Website for Smartphone
We have recently finished developing a new optimized website for Smartphone screen size. By visiting our website (www.hibiki-an.com) with Smartphone you will be automatically led to the optimized website.
All pages of our website have been optimized for Smartphone. So, the new site will enable you to take advantage of our website in a new way. For example, you will be able to access our Tea Recipe pages on your Smartphone in the kitchen as you follow along and prepare an amazing green tea dessert!
We hope you will find many ways to enjoy our new website whenever and wherever you would like.
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Japanese Green Tea Hibiki-an
36 Shimonoto Yuyadani
Ujitawara, Kyoto 610-0221
Japan
http://www.hibiki-an.com
