About this tea

Hon Yama is the quintessential mountain tea region of Shizuoka, Japan. Okouchi is a small town within the Hon Yama tea producing area and is historically significant as one of the premium cultivation areas of Japanese sencha. The Hon Yama region has produced teas for nearly 800 years and was the favorite tea of the Tokugawa Shogun and Emperors. Okouchi is a village situated in a mountainous valley next to the Abe River in Shizuoka. The misty flow of the river accumulates in the valleys. The cool spring weather combined with dramatic swings in temperature from day to night creates a special quality of tea that exudes the phenomenon known as Yamano Kaori, literally “mountain aroma.” The foggy mists shroud the tea bushes before the peak harvesting season. This enhances the complex aromas and richness of the tea. The infusion of this Okouchi shincha is lustrous with a lemony-lime vibrancy and glow, while the flavor and aroma are balanced and luxurious. This Hon Yama sencha mountain tea is one of the best shincha lots we procured this year.