Learn all about Japanese teas like Matcha, Genmaicha, and Sencha, including tips on where to buy unique and tasteful tea in the southern part of Japan.
Drinking tea is a big part of Japanese culture. The tea ceremony and the quality of the teas used have been refined to a very high level. The most well-known Japanese teas abroad are probably Matcha, Genmaicha, and Sencha, with the first one having the highest status. Matcha is what you get when staying in a Japanese Ryokan, while you will find Genmaicha or green tea powder in your budget hotel room.
Tea types in Japan
There are many different types of tea grown in Japan with a lot of difference in quality between them. For those who don’t speak Japanese, it will often be hard to get an explanation of what sets all these teas with fancy packaging apart. Though the price might be of some help there.
Matcha
Matcha is a high-quality green tea powder known for its health effects. This quality is achieved by shading the tea plants in the last three to four weeks before the harvest and by removing the stems and veins during processing. Matcha tea is prepared with water just under the boiling point. Whisk lightly with a bamboo whisk.
A different grade of Matcha powder is used for cooking and as an ingredient in Matcha Ice Cream and many baked goods.
Genmaicha
Genmaicha is a mixture of green tea and roasted popped brown rice. This tea has a nutty taste because of the rice. The rice was originally added to reduce the price of the tea, but who cares if it tastes great.
Sencha
Sencha is the most popular tea in Japan. Sencha tea stands apart from other teas because of its yellow-green color. You can also recognize it (and many other Japanese teas) by its grassy taste. The flavor of the tea varies depending on the season in which the green tea leaves were produced.
Hojicha
Hojicha is a roasted green tea with a nutty and robust taste. It is low in caffeine and is great for a cold winter day. Probably my favorite Japanese tea… is it cheating if I drink a Hojicha grown in South Korea right now?
Kukicha
Kukicha is a fresh green tea that is made of stems and twigs.
Gyokuro
Gyokuro is the highest quality green tea because it has a very distinct umami taste.
Sobacha
Sobacha is a tea of roasted buckwheat (‘soba’). This tea has a neutral taste (though grainy) and is a good tea for everyday use. One of the best places to buy Soba tea is the UNESCO World Heritage Village Shirakawa-go near Takayama.
Green tea powder
Powdered tea is readily available in every Japanese store. The best thing about green tea powder is that you consume the whole leaf and therefore more of the healthy substances. Plus you can make instant tea with it without brewing time.
Buying tea in Japan: some great finds
It is not always easy to find a tea shop dedicated to tea from loose leaves. When you look for tea in a grocery store or a convenience store, the tea on display is not always of good quality.
While there are tea plantations in Japan, these are often off-route (or not always open to visitors) and you’ll probably find it hard to include them in your itinerary.
That being said, if you visit the islands Kyushu and Yakushima, then I know some great tea shops!
Near Takachiho Gorge: holy basil tea
On your way to Takachiho Gorge, you can stop at the Gokase Tourism Association to visit a local farmer’s market. Not only does this shop sell many local fruits and vegetables, but it also sells many types of tea and other local specialties. The Holy Basil leaf tea I bought here is one of my favorites. It has a very distinct taste, making it unique among my tea collection.
Location: 98-1 Sangasho, 西臼杵郡五ヶ瀬町 Nishiusuki District, Miyazaki 882-1203, Japan
Yakushima: misty island tea
If you’re visiting Yakushima Island, then the teashop (有)屋久島八万寿茶園 is a good place to visit. They sell many types of tea grown on Yakushima Island, ranging from powdered green tea to full leaf green tea and fermented twigs tea. At the shop, you can try some tea before buying.
Location: 532-24 Koseda, Yakushima, Kumage District, Kagoshima 891-4207, Japan
Itoen green tea powder: airport last resort
Itoen instant green tea powder with matcha is very common. You can buy this one in many grocery stores in Japan, but also in malls in Kuala Lumpur, at Japanese airports, and from eBay.
So this is a great option for your leftover money at the airport!
Kagoshima: if the tea plantations are too off-route
At Birouen Tea Store in the Tenmonkan Shopping Center in Kagoshima, you can buy tea grown on tea plantations on Kyushu Island. While not all teas on sale have an English explanation, many do, making it easier to choose (or you can surprise yourself!).
Location: 5-2 Nakamachi, Kagoshima, 892-0827, Japan
Mulberry Green Juice
When visiting Sengan-en, the most famous Japanese garden in Kagoshima, you can end your visit well with a matcha tea at the Japanese tea house. But before you get there, you pass by some shops selling local specialties and handicrafts. At one of these shops, they sell Satsuma Mulberry Green Juice; a drink that is very good for your health as it is rich in minerals, vitamins and amino acids.
Location: 9700-1 Yoshinocho, Kagoshima, 892-0871, Japan
Green tea ice cream and chocolate
Nana’s Green Tea is one of my favorite modern tea cafes in Japan. Their matcha and hojicha flavored chocolates, tea, and ice creams taste wonderful. There are branches all over the country, including Tokyo, Nagasaki, and most big cities in Japan.
Location Tokyo Ueno: 6 Chome−15−1 上野マルイ 1F, Ueno, Taito City, 〒110-8502 Tokyo, Japan
