In this article, I’m going to introduces porcelain, one of the materials used in tea ware.

What is porcelain?

Porcelain is a white, translucent pottery with a fine surface texture and a smooth touch.

Since it contains a lot of glassy substances, it can be a little transparent when it is exposed to light.

Feldspar and quartzite, which are often contained in the clay, that is the raw material of porcelain, crystallize and become very hard when fired at high temperature.

For this reason, porcelain can be made stronger, thinner and lighter than pottery. It is a characteristic of porcelain.

Porcelain is not water absorbent and has a smooth surface, which prevents the aroma and ingredients of tea from being absorbed by the tea ware, allowing the original flavor and fragrance of the tea leaves to be brewed.

It is recommended especially for beginners as a tea bowl which is easy to take care of and brew a delicious cup of tea without any tips.

Japanese porcelain

Let me introduce you to famous Japanese porcelain.

Arita ware

Arita ware is a pottery produced around Arita Town in Saga Prefecture.

It was made for the first time in Japan 400 years ago. It is said that Arita ware have influenced the world-famous brand “Meissen”.

Arita ware is transparent white porcelain with vivid patterns in various colors. Especially in Europe, Arita ware has been popular since old days under the name of “IMARI”.

Porcelain is basically made by mixing several types of earth, but Arita ware is made from only one type of porcelain clay. It is very rare porcelain in the world, and transparent white porcelain is praised as “white gold” and is highly appreciated around the world.

Kutani ware

Kutani ware is produced in Kanazawa, Kaga, Mino, and Komatsu in Ishikawa Prefecture, and they make pottery as well as porcelain.

It is an authentic pottery that the Imperial Household Agency uses as a gift for celebrities and the royal families overseas, and it was also presented to Charles, Prince of Wales as a wedding gift.

Kutani ware is so famous that it is called “There is no Kutani ware without telling the overglaze painting” and is one of the representative colored ceramics of Japan, and is also famous for its gorgeous tea ware.

The overglaze painting is a technique in which a picture is painted with pigments after final firing and then re-baked at a high temperature of about 800℃, creating a unique and distinctive pattern on the work.

Kutani ware’s overglaze painting is called “Go-saite (five-color glaze)” because the colors of “red, yellow, purple, green, dark blue” are used to decorate the pottery and its gorgeous and bold coloring and decorations are unforgettable once you see it.

Hasami ware

Hasami ware is made in and around Hasami Town in Nagasaki prefecture.

Although the word “pottery” may conjure up images of high-class, but Hasami ware is used to make tableware for daily use by the common people. In addition, about 20% of Japanese tableware is Hasami ware.

There is no specific technique for Hasami ware and since various artists are flexibly making pottery in the shapes and designs demanded by the times, there is a wide variety of designs and sizes.

Because of its stylish appearance and the fact that it can be easily purchased not only at specialty shops but also at tableware shops and general stores, it has recently become popular with the younger generation, who were not originally interested in pottery.

Many tea wares have been made in Japan since old days, and their materials are various.

In this article, I’m going to introduce “pottery” which is one of the most popular materials.

What is pottery?

Pottery has left many masterpieces in the long history of tea wares.

It is a “earthenware” made of clay, it is a simple and dignified looking ceramic.

Pottery is fired at a lower temperature of 900 to 1200℃ compared to porcelain, it is made thicker so that it is more brittle and less likely to break than porcelain baked at a high temperature.

The thicker container prevents heat conduction, so that the brewed tea does not get cold easily. It is suitable for tea bowls because the heat of bowl is not easily felt by the person holding it.

In addition, it is easy to get color and dirt because of its water absorbency, and it takes more time to maintain compared to other tea wares.

However, many tea masters love to use it because of the way its color and other characteristics change every time they use it.

Japanese pottery

Let me introduce you to famous Japanese pottery.

Mashiko ware

Mashiko ware is a pottery made in Mashiko Town, Tochigi Prefecture and is designated as a Traditional Craft of Japan.

The Mashiko Pottery Fair has been held since 1966 and about 600,000 people come to the fair every year.

The porcelain clay used for Mashiko ware is not suitable for fine works and requires a thicker texture, so it is characterized by its plump and cute appearance.

In addition, it has a rustic look and feel due to its high sandiness.

Mashiko ware had faced many crises in its existence since its birth in the Edo period, but in the Taisho period (1912-1926) with the Folk Art Movement, it became Japan's representative pottery.

Nowadays, there are as many as 250 pottery producers in Japan, and many of them are creating pottery of their own design.

Hagi ware

Hagi ware is mainly produced in Hagi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Hagi ware, which has developed as tea pottery, has long been praised a “No.1 is Raku ware, No.2 is Hagi ware and No.3 is Karatsu ware”.

This is a term expressing the taste of the tea master or rating of tea bowls, and it shows that Hagi ware has been highly valued since old days.

Most of them are simple and make use of the material itself, with little or no coloring or decoration.

Due to the influence of the porcelain clay used in the pottery and the production process, Hagi ware is characterized by numerous fine cracks called “Kannyu”.

Over the years, ingredients such as tea gradually permeate into the tea bowl, changing the color of the tea bowl, and this phenomenon is called “Cha-nare (harmonizing with tea)” or “Hagi-no-Nanabake (Hagi’s changing)” among tea masters, and it is valued as a tea bowl whose expression changes depending on who uses it.

In addition, there are more than 100 pottery producers of Hagi ware, but most of them are small and active as artists, so there are many one-of-a-kind works, which is a feature of Hagi ware.

Seto ware

Seto ware is a pottery made in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture, and not only pottery but also porcelain is made.

In Japan, the word “setomono” is used to describe all ceramics, and it comes from Seto ware.

This is the pottery that had such a big impact on the Japanese ceramic art world.

Seto ware is one of the “Three Major Japanese Pottery" and the “Six Ancient Kilns in Japan”, and has produced many masterpieces of ceramic ware, especially in the area of tea ceremony utensils.

In addition, Seto has produced a wide variety of pottery using its abundant raw materials such as high-quality clay and pottery stone.

Tea wares are made of a variety of materials which affect the taste of tea.

In this article, I‘m going to introduce the materials used in tea wares.

Types of materials

When it comes to ceramics, “pottery” and “porcelain” are famous, but surprisingly there are various materials that can be used.

Porcelain

Porcelain is white, translucent, finely textured, and has a smooth touch.

Feldspar and silica, which are often found in the clay used to make porcelain, have the property of crystallizing and hardening when fired at high temperatures.

This makes it possible to make thin and light ceramics while maintaining its strength compared to pottery.

In addition, since it does not absorb water, it is hard to get color and stain, and it is often used for daily tableware.

Typical examples of porcelain include Arita ware and Kutani ware, and Meissen is a famous foreign brand.

Pottery

Pottery is a “earthenware” made from porcelain clay, and it is often seen in a tea ceremony.

Since pottery is fired at a low temperature, the components contained in the raw materials have a weak connection and pottery are more fragile than porcelain.

For that reason, it is made thick so that it does not break easily.

The thicker container prevents heat conduction, so that the brewed tea does not get cold easily, and you can enjoy it deliciously for a long time.

In the long history of tea, pottery has produced many masterpieces of tea wares.

Mashiko ware and Hagi ware are famous.

Stoneware

Stoneware is made of stone. It is a ceramic which is formed by mixing clay and powder made by crushing rocks, and it is located between pottery and porcelain.

When you hit it, it makes a high sound similar to porcelain, but it doesn't have water absorbency or translucency like pottery.

Stoneware is rather more pottery in appearance and has a simple and serene atmosphere unique to Japan.

Stoneware is not as well-known as pottery and porcelain, but there is a wide range of ceramics made from Stoneware, including Echizen ware, which is characterized by the natural glaze produced by melting wood ashes, Shigaraki ware, which is famous for its raccoon dog figurines, and Tokoname ware, which has the largest share of teapot in Japan.

Glass

Heat-resistant glass is used in tea wares made of minerals such as silica sand, borax, boric acid.

Glass tea wares have a wide range of uses, and they are useful for brewing not only green tea but also black tea and Chinese tea.

In particular, when brewing flower tea, a kind of Chinese tea, you can enjoy the tea time before you drink it as you can enjoy the elegantly swaying tea leaves that gradually open in the hot water.

Glass tea wares are easy to maintain and handle, so even beginners can use them without worries.

Although most tea ceremony bowls have a strong image of ceramics, during the summer, you can often find beautiful glass teacups that are handcrafted one by one by.

Metal

Common materials of metal include iron, stainless steel, copper, and aluminum.

It is used as a kettle to boil water for tea or a tea strainer to make tea, but the most commonly used material for tea wares is copper.

Since copper has moisture regulating properties, tea leaves in a copper tea caddy keep their flavor longer.

Differences in taste due to materials

Tea is a delicate drink, so the taste changes depending on the materials.

Porcelain and glass do not absorb water, so the aroma and ingredients are hard to absorb, allowing the flavor and aroma of the tea to be served straight away.

On the other hand, pottery is highly absorbent, so the tea wares absorb excess components and astringency, and produce a clean mild taste.

Stoneware, which has both porcelain and pottery properties, absorbs tannins, which gives it a mild taste with less astringency.

Copper, with its copper ions, decomposes the impurities in tap water and makes the water taste mellow.

In addition, copper's excellent thermal conductivity expedites the flow of tea, making tea with less astringency and more sweetness and aroma.

There are more than 100 tea cultivars in Japan alone, and there are an enormous number of cultivars in the world.

However, there are only two groups of tea plants that are the origin of so many tea cultivars on the earth. 

Assam group and China group

All tea cultivars including black tea, oolong tea and green tea, are roughly divided into two groups: Assam group (large leaf tea) and China group (small leaf tea).

Branched from these two groups, various kinds of tea cultivars have been produced.

By the way, almost all of Japanese tea belongs to China group.

Characteristics of Assam group

Assam group is mainly used for black tea because it is rich in tannin, has a rich aroma, and it is easily oxidized.

It is grown mainly in Sri Lanka and India because it is sensitive to cold and it likes hot and humid climate.

Assam group has no particular plucking tie and it is picked 40 ~ 50 times a year.

By the way, the best tea leaves can be picked from March to June and from September to November, which is called the quality season. In particular, tea leaves picked in March and April is called first flush, and you can enjoy a particularly rich taste and aroma.

Characteristics of China group

China group is often used for green tea because it has less tannin, has a delicate taste and aroma, and is difficult to oxidize.

It is not only resistant to cold and grown in cold and dry places, but also adaptable and grown in hot and humid places. It is grown in Japan, China and Taiwan.

From the beginning of spring to the beginning of autumn, China group is picked about four times a year. In Japan, the first tea picked that year is called “Ichibancha or Shincha (first picked tea)” and the tea picked at that time is the highest quality and is traded at a high price.

History of Assam group

Assam group was a wild tea tree found in Assam, India. However, there were various difficulties before it became widespread throughout the world.

In the 1780s, imported tea trees of China group were already planted in India.

The people in India were looking for wild tea trees in their own country, not from China, but it was hard to find.

In 1823, British botanist Robert Bruce visited in Assam, India, and discovered a tea tree he had never seen. This was the discovery of Assam group (later).

However, the Indian botanist's verdict was “This is not a tea tree, but a camellia tree.”.

It was not recognized as a tea tree at that time. Robert Bruce died in despair.

It was finally recognized as a tea tree thanks to the efforts of Robert’s younger brother Charles, who took over his will. It was the birth of Assam group.

Under the direction of Charles, the first Indian green tea made from Assam group was produced in 1838. In the following year, it was auctioned off in London at a high price.

This had raised expectations and interests in the tea business, but it had been difficult.

The land of Assam had been inhabited by dangerous wild animals and poisonous snakes, so it had been hard to develop.

Meanwhile, infectious diseases such as malaria and cholera spread and many workers died.

Tea leaves of Assam group was managed to produce, but it was too hard to secure a transportation route for exportation.

However, Assam group was a hope for the people of that time, so they had never given up.

As a result, tea production took off around 1850, 27 years after the first discovery, and the cultivation of Assam group tea trees began in Southeast Asia and Africa.

After that, black tea was born, and it has spread all over the world, mainly in the UK, until now.

History of China group

The origin of tea is China. The history of tea is started before Christ. The tea has existed since ancient times and it appears in ancient mythology.

There are various theories about the origin of tea, but the theory that the first tea tree was found in the southwest area of Yunnan is widely accepted.

Around this time, tea leaves were recognized as a medicine and began to be consumed as a luxury around 59 B.C.

Around 760, the world's oldest tea book, Chakyo (The Classic of Tea) was completed, and the way of drinking and brewing tea became close to the current style.

Chinese tea arrived in Japan in 805. The history of Japanese tea has started from here.

A long time later, around 1610, Chinese tea was imported to Europe for the first time.

Chinese tea was brought to Taiwan even later, around 1810.

Assam group was discovered more than 10 years later.

The history of Assam group is much shorter than that of the China group, and it is a very new variety that was discovered less than 200 years ago.

In the Meiji period (1868-1912), tea was exported in large quantities as an important means of earning foreign currency.

In this article I’m going to introduce the history of tea in the Meiji and Taisho (1912-1926) periods and the mechanization of tea production. 

Tea has become a major industry in Japan

During the Meiji to Taisho period, tea was regarded as an important export item for Japan.

That was triggered by the signing of the Treaties of Amity with Europe and the United States in the Edo period.

At that time, as much as 181 tons of tea was exported overseas from Dejima (island) of Nagasaki as a trading window.

Even after the Meiji Restoration, tea continued to dominate the export market, with an export volume of 20,000 tons.

Achievements of OTANI Kahee

OTANI Kahee made the greatest contribution to the development of the tea industry in the Meiji period.

He was originally the largest tea seller in Yokohama, but in 1894 he established Japan Tea Products Corporation.

He thoroughly managed the quality of exported tea, and when the United States imposed tariffs on tea, he went to the United States to carry out a campaign to eliminate the tariffs on tea production.

He devoted his life to the promotion of Japan's tea industry.

The mechanization of tea production

I have already mentioned that tea was an important means of earning foreign currency in Japan.

However, Japan at that time had no manufacturing means to meet the rapidly increasing demand yet.

Therefore, in the Meiji period, mechanization was promoted to produce tea efficiently.

In particular, TAKABAYASHI Kenzo played an important role in the mechanization of tea.

He was originally a doctor, but later became an inventor in the tea industry.

In 1884, he manufactured a tea roasting machine and other products, and in 1896 he completed a roughing machine that greatly improved the efficiency of the work previously done by hand kneading.

In addition, hand scissors were also invented to improve the efficiency of the harvest, which gradually made the mass production of tea for export possible.

Development of Makinohara Plateau in Shizuoka

Even today, Shizuoka Prefecture is one of the leading tea producing areas in Japan, but the cultivation of Makinohara Plateau in the Meiji Period triggered this.

Originally, the Makinohara Plateau had been empty land until the end of the Edo period, but it was reclaimed because the demand for tea increased rapidly as the export of tea started.

The people who worked to cultivate the land were the warrior clans who had lost their jobs due to the Meiji Restoration.

However, the warrior clans were fed up with unaccustomed hoes and hard work, and gradually broke away.

From then on, the work was handed over to the river ferryman, but they were unable to endure the hard work and poverty, and many people dropped out.

It is thanks to the hard work and efforts of such people that we are able to enjoy good quality tea in Shizuoka even today.

History of Japanese tea: Muromachi and Azuchi-Momoyama periods

Japan's tea ceremony culture flourished during the Muromachi period (1336-1573) and the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573-1603).

The foundation of modern tea ceremony was formed by the activities of tea masters such as MURATA Juko, TAKENO Jyoo, and SEN no Rikyu.

In this article, I’m going to introduce their achievements and the overview of Wabicha.

The great achievement of the tea ceremony

“Chanoyu (the tea ceremony)” means to invite guests and entertain them at a cup of tea.

Today, it is generally called “Sado” but the term Sado came to be used to refer to art in the Edo period. “Chanoyu” was the mainstream name in the Muromachi and Azuchi-Momoyama periods.

MURATA Juko, TAKENO Jyoo, and SEN no Rikyu are some of the people who achieved great success in Chanoyu.

Let's take a quick look back at the achievements of these three people.

MURATA Juko

MURATA Juko (1423-1502) was a master of the tea ceremony in the Muromachi Period.

Originally, Juko was an apprentice at a temple, but he didn't get involved in ascetic practices, so he went to Kyoto and started the tea ceremony.

One of Juko’s achievements is that he created a unique style of decorating a four-and-a-half Japanese tatami room with carefully selected specialties, while paying close attention to the tea ceremony utensils, the paintings and calligraphy used to decorate the teahouse.

He said, “It is good to have good tea utensils in a poor space”. It can be said that the foundation of the tea ceremony, which loves simplicity was formed here.

TAKENO Jyoo

TAKENO Jyoo (1502-1555) was also a master of the tea ceremony in the Muromachi period, like MURATA Juko.

TAKENO Jyoo was originally an influential merchant of Sakai, but at the age of 27, he learned waka and renga (Japanese poetry) from a nobleman named SANJYONISHI Sanetaka.

After that, he intended to become a priest and master renga even more, but he turned his attention to the tea ceremony, which was emerging as a new art at that time, and decided to take lessons from Juko's disciples.

The great achievement of TAKENO Jyoo was not to limit the tools to decorate the teahouse to Chinese ones, but to freely decorate the imported goods from Nanban and the things made in Japan.

It can be said that his achievements were very significant in that he stopped sticking to tradition and added more creativity to the tea ceremony.

SEN no Rikyu

SEN no Rikyu (1522-91) was a master of the tea ceremony in the Muromachi and Azuchi-Momoyama periods, and is commonly known as the great master of Chanoyu.

He started practicing the tea ceremony in his teens, and in his 40s he was serving ODA Nobunaga through the introduction of a friend.

After the death of ODA Nobunaga, he served TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi who became the ruler of Japan, but he was forced to commit seppuku and died an unnatural death.

As already mentioned, MURATA Juko and TAKENO Jyoo had built the foundation of the tea ceremony, but SEN no Rikyu’s tea ceremony was a further refinement of them.

His style of tea ceremony can be summed up as “ultimate simplicity”.

SEN no Rikyu made the original four-and-a-half tatami teahouse even smaller and completely removed the glittering decorations.

As a result, the spirit of the tea ceremony that values simplicity, which is popular even today, was achieved.

What is “Wabicha”?

SEN no Rikyu is often called “the great master of Wabicha”.

The word Wabicha, in dictionary terms, refers to “the tea ceremony that values the state of wabi.” (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, Second Edition).

It is difficult to explain the spirit of wabi in one word, but to put it simply, it means “a spirit that celebrates imperfection and simplicity”.

For example, SEN no Rikyu removed extraneous or luxurious things from a teahouse to the utmost extent, and conducted tea ceremonies using tea utensils that looked shabby at first glance.

Let go of your obsession with everything and find true beauty in simplicity.

It can be said that the purpose of reaching this state of mind is “Wabicha”.

The promotion of Uji tea

SEN no Rikyu preferred “Uji tea”.

It is said that Uji tea originated when monk Myoe Shonin sowed tea seeds in Uji, but in the late 16th century, a new cultivation method called “covered cultivation” was developed in Uji.

The tea leaves grown under the cover had a vivid dark green color and a strong umami.

SEN no Rikyu liked such Uji tea and positioned it as the best tea.

In addition, what was drunk at that time was not Sencha (steeped green tea) like today, but Matcha dried without rolling tea leaves.

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), Matcha, which we are familiar with, came to be drunk frequently.

In this article, I’m going to introduce the spread of green tea cultivation in the Kamakura period and the culture of “Tocha” in the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (1333-1392).

The beginning of green tea cultivation

Generally, it has been said that the origin of tea cultivation is that Zen monk Eisai (1141- 1215) brought back tea seeds from China and planted them on Mt. Sefuri in Fukuoka Prefecture.

However, actual historical documents show that Emperor Saga had already had tea grown in various places during the Heian period.

Popularization of tea in Kyoto and the eastern part of Japan

As mentioned above, Eisai was not the first person to cultivate tea in Japan.

However, he played an important role in “spreading tea to Kyoto and the eastern part of Japan”.

When Eisai built Kennin-ji (Temple) in Kyoto and became its chief priest, he gave tea to a monk called Myoe Shonin.

Myoe Shonin planted it in the precincts of Umeo Kozan-ji (Temple) and cultivated it, and sowed its seeds in Uji, Kyoto.

This is said to be the origin of the famous “Uji tea”.

Eisai also served as the chief priest of Jufuku-ji (Temple) in Kamakura (just south of Tokyo), and it is said that this led to the spread of tea in the eastern part of Japan.

What is Kissa Yojoki ?

Another great achievement of Eisai was that he wrote the first tea book in Japan, titled Kissa Yojoki (Drinking Tea for Health care).

Kissa Yojoki was originally written as a medical book, and it is a book about the medicinal benefits of tea, tea cultivation methods, and tea drinking methods.

According to the history book Azuma Kagami, the book was presented to the third shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate, MINAMOTO no Sanetomo, with tea when he was suffering from a hangover.

What is Tencha?

In the Nara and Heian periods, solid tea, called “Heicha (Dancha)” was drunk mainly, but in the Kamakura period, “Tencha” became the mainstream tea.

To put it simply, Tencha is a tea which is the raw material of Matcha.

Matcha is made by grinding Tencha with a mortar and making it into fine powders.

At that time, Matcha was used by Zen monks to repel the drowsiness that came during their practice and fix their minds on it.

What is Tocha?

In the Kamakura period (1185-1333), samurai and nobles began to enjoy green tea as a social occasion.

To entertain guests, they decorated paintings and vases from China and brewed tea using Tang Dynasty tea utensils.

Around 1320, the custom of drinking tea in social gatherings became more amusing and developed into a “Tocha” which is the practice of guessing the place of origin by drinking tea.

In the beginning, Tocha was simply a matter of guessing whether the tea was from “Honcha” brought by Myoe Shonin or from another region.

However, by the beginning of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it gradually became more radical, bringing in alcohol, and food and gambling.

In the end, Tocha was banned by the law called “Kenmu Code” issued by ASHIKAGA Takauji.

In this article, I’m going to introduce “Yutakamidori”, the second largest cultivar in Japan.

Characteristics of “Yutakamidori”

Yutakamidori has the following characteristics.

Resistant to diseases but vulnerable to cold

Although Yutakamidori is resistant to mold diseases such as anthracnose, it is susceptible to frost damages and vulnerable to cold climate, so it is grown mainly in the warm Kyushu region.

It has a high fertility and a high yield, so it is a tea cultivar that is profitable for farmers in the warm and frost-resistant areas.

The production area is mainly Kagoshima Prefecture.

Although Yutakamidori accounts for only 5% of the total production in Japan, it accounts for 30% in Kagoshima Prefecture and is a very popular cultivar.

They are often cultivated in southern countries because they are sensitive to cold, and they are often cultivated in Miyazaki Prefecture other than Kagoshima.

Kagoshima is now known for its delicious tea, but there was a time when it had a bad reputation as “The tea in Kagoshima is cheap and not so good.” It is said that Yutakamidori overturned that image and brought Kagoshima to the famous tea production area.

Early harvest time

Yutakamidori is an early ripening cultivar with an early harvest time and picked more than 5 days earlier than Yabukita. Generally, new tea is picked on Hachiju-Hachiya (the 88th day), counting from Risshun (the first day of spring). Yutakamidori is called Hashiri-Shincha (Early-First picked tea) because it is picked on the 77th day after Risshun. Yutakamidori is distributed throughout Japan at the end of April, a little earlier than other teas.

Taste of “Yutakamidori”

The southern part of the country, including Kagoshima, where Yutakamidori is grown, tea leaves get more bitter and astringent due to the long hours of sunlight. In order to prevent this, the tea field is covered with a black cover from a week before harvest to block out the sunlight. This method reduces bitterness and astringency.

In addition, by lengthening the time of “steaming” which is the production process of Sencha (Steeped green tea), it becomes strong and mild taste.

Yutakamidori is a cultivar with attractive balance of astringency and sweetness, rich and deep tastes, and beautiful light blue color.

Even if you've never heard of the name “Yabukita” you probably drink it without realizing it. That is Yabukita, the most produced cultivar of green tea in Japan.

In this article, I’m going to introduce Yabukita cultivar. 

"Yabukita" is the standard for green tea

There are more than 100 Japanese tea cultivars, but nearly 80% of the green tea produced in Japan is Yabukita. In some areas, it's as high as 90%.

Of course, even if it's the same cultivar, the taste will change a little depending on the land where it's grown and how it's processed, so it doesn’t mean “the same cultivar = exactly the same taste”.

Characteristics of Yabukita

The reason why Yabukita has been cultivated all over Japan is the outstanding characteristics of Yabukita.

Well-balanced taste

Yabukita is famous for its excellent quality. In particular, the quality of Sencha (steeped green tea) is highly regarded as “extremely good”.

It has a well-balanced taste of astringency, umami, sweetness and richness, and is loved by everyone

Easy to grow

Yabukita is not only of good quality but also easy to grow because it is a wide regional adaptable cultivar. It can be grown anywhere in Japan.

In addition, Yabukita is strong against cold and resistant to frost damages, so that the color of its leaves can be kept clean even in cold places and it is hard to wither.

Stable quality

Nowadays, it is common to grow tea with cuttings, but people used to plant seeds to grow tea trees.

By growing the tea from seeds, the quality of the tea varies depending on how it is grown. When tea farmers have been struggling with this problem, Yabukita, a cultivar of a stable supply of high-quality tea appeared.

It is said that tea is harvested in 5 to 8 years and replanted about once every 30 years.

Therefore, selecting tea cultivars is an important task that determines the fate of tea fields. Yabukita became popular because they can produce high-quality tea stably.

Have a high yield

Yabukita is originally a variety with a high yield, and since it sprouts (the emergence of new buds from a tea leaf. Farmers pick the first tea in about a month after it has sprouted.) at a time when it is less susceptible to frost damage, it can achieve a higher yield than other cultivars.

The biggest characteristic of Yabukita is that it has high quality, high yield, and is grown easily .

It is the reason why Yabukita spread all over Japan.

History of Yabukita

The history of Yabukita started when it was discovered in Shizuoka in 1908.

Yabukita and Yabuminami

SUGIYAMA Hikosaburo, who was a tea researcher at that time, developed a bamboo grove in Shizuoka, and created a tea field where he conducted various researches on tea. Once, two excellent tea trees were selected in the tea field.

Of the two trees selected, the tea tree planted on the north side of the bamboo grove was named “Yabukita” and the tea tree planted on the south side of that was named “Yabu minami”.

As a result of continuous observation and experiments, Yabukita turned out to be better than Yabuminami, so Yabukita was finally chosen. After that, the current Yabukita was made by repeated breeding.

The rapidly expanding in Showa period

Yabukita was not evaluated immediately.

After the War, more than 10 years after SUGIYAMA Hikosaburo’s death, Yabukita gained a high reputation and was designated as a recommended cultivar of Shizuoka Prefecture. It was also selected a registered cultivar of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. So Yabukita was rapidly spreading throughout Japan.

In 1972, “Yabukita” occupies 88% of tea fields in Japan.

Designated as a natural monument of Shizuoka.

Yabukita's mother tree, which was discovered more than 100 years ago and made the history of green tea, actually still exists today and has fresh, green leaves.

Yabukita's mother tree is designated as a natural monument of Shizuoka Prefecture. Although the tree is now over 110 years old, locals and tea-loving tourists still gather to see it.

Do you know how your daily tea is produced? This article provides a rough summary of the methods and manufacturing processes of teas in general. We will go through main processes from picking fresh leaves to shipment, two important phases of “Aracha (crude tea)” and “finishing” in tea manufacturing, and the difference in manufacturing process by the type of tea.

Main processes from picking fresh leaves to shipment

Tea leaves are grown at a tea plantation. At the picking season, fresh leaves are plucked. Then, after many manufacturing processes, they are shipped across the country and reach you. The manufacturing process differs by the type of tea, but the flow is divided into the two main phases of Aracha and finishing. Let us take a look at these two.

How to make Aracha

Fresh leaves of tea contain oxidative enzymes. The plucked leaves get oxidized by enzymes with time. The teas produced without fermentation (oxidation), such as green tea, go through heating treatment to deactivate enzymes in the fresh leaves. Then, the teas undergo processes such as rolling/twisting, fine rolling, and drying to become Aracha.

In contrast, the teas produced through fermentation (oxidation), such as black tea, need to be fermented well in a hot and humid fermentation chamber after withering and kneading. The teas, fully fermented and dried, become Aracha.

Fermentation (oxidization)

Fermentation starts, immediately after plucking, due to oxidative enzymes in the tea leaves. This fermentation refers to enzymatic oxidation, which is a little different from microbial fermentation. Note that some teas such as post-fermented teas are actually produced through microbial fermentation.

Deactivation

This process is to block fermentation by halting the activity of the enzymes through heating treatment. Main deactivation methods include the Mushi method (steaming fresh leaves) and the Kama-iri method (roasting in the pan).

Rolling

In this process, pressured kneading equalizes the leaf moisture so that the ingredients get easy to come out.

Fine rolling

This process is to shape the tea leaves by drying with heat and kneading in one direction.

Drying

This process is to further dry the leaves by thoroughly airing hot wind. Here comes Aracha.

Finishing

In the phase of Aracha, the leaves are irregularly-shaped and not completely dry. They are not ready to be shipped as a product. So we need the finishing phase. Finishing includes sorting/shaping, firing, and blending in this order. Shipment follows measuring, checking, and packaging. Finishing enables long storage and enhances the tea flavor.

Sorting/shaping

Aracha is sieved to remove fine stems and sort the leaves by the size. And the following processes such as cutting shape the leaves.

Firing

Drying once again with fire improves the shelf life of the leaves and brings out the tea aroma.

Blending

As the final adjustment, blending is to equalize the composition and quality of the tea. Measuring, checking, and packaging follow to ship the tea as a product.

Difference between tea types

Tea manufacturing process varies a little between types of tea. They are classified into the four types of “unfermented tea,” “half-fermented tea,” “fermented tea,” and “post-fermented tea” according to the extent of fermentation. In addition, “flowering tea” is a tea processed with these. Let us take a look at each of them.

Unfermented tea (green tea, matcha, etc.)

Unfermented tea is a tea whose plucked fresh leaves have undergone heating treatment prior to fermentation by the leaf oxidative enzymes. As a result, it remains unfermented. It keeps a fresh aroma and a clear green color. When heated, the enhanced fragrance yields an elegant flavor and aroma.

Half-fermented tea (oolong tea, etc.)

Half-fermented tea is a tea whose fermentation has been stopped at a suitable point. Unlike unfermented tea, the fresh leaves are withered before fermentation. As a result, aroma components produced by oxidative enzymes and the like yield a characteristic fragrance. It stands in the middle between green tea and black tea in terms of the degree of fermentation. According to the degree of fermentation, half-fermented tea is further classified into white tea (bai cha), yellow tea (huang cha), blue tea (qing cha/oolong tea), etc.

Fermented tea (black tea)

Fermented tea is a tea whose leaves have undergone a full fermentation by oxidative enzymes. As with half-fermented tea, the leaves are withered before fermentation so that oxidative enzymes produce various aroma components. Fermented longer than half-fermented tea, the tea takes on a characteristic glamorous fragrance. It is fermented tea, among the four classes, that is consumed the most in the word.

Post-fermented tea (Pu'er tea, etc.)

Post-fermented tea is a tea produced through fermentation by microbes, not by oxidative enzymes. Post-fermented tea changes its flavors with different microbes. Pu’er tea from China is a representative tea fermented by kōji-mold (aspergillus) and Goishicha from Kōchi Prefecture is a representative tea fermented by lactic acid bacteria.

Flowering tea (jasmine tea, etc.)

Flowering tea is a green tea, white, tea, blue tea, or other tea flavored with flowers and fruits. A representative example is jasmine tea, which is one of the most popular teas even in Japan with its elegant aroma.

Like green tea, “Hojicha (roasted green tea)” is a popular Japanese tea among many people. What on earth makes its distinctive pleasant aroma and smooth taste? This article guides you through the manufacturing process of “Hojicha.”

Features of Hojicha process

Hojicha is produced by roasting processed tea at about 200 degrees C until it turns brown. Its processing method was originally to enjoy low-quality tea and applied mainly to low-grade tea such as stem tea and Bancha (common tea). In general, Hojicha is graded high if it is from the Ichibancha (first picked tea) that is picked late in the first season. Another high-grade one is “Stem Hojicha,” a roasted high-grade stem tea.

What changes by roasting?

Roasting tea leaves produces “Pyrazine” so that the leaves take on a distinctive pleasant aroma. In addition, it lessens tea’s characteristic astringency and makes a smooth, easy-to-drink taste.

How to make Hojicha at home?

The original method requires a tool called “Horoku.” Here, we will show you an easy way that uses a frying pan.

1. Spread tea leaves in an unheated frying pan and start at medium flame.

2. Wait for a while before you start stirring

3. After an aroma starts arising, stir them with a wooden spatula carefully not to scorch them, and roast them to your preferred color. Now it is ready.

4. Brew the tea with hot water for a better aroma. Take enough time until its color appears a little too deep (approximately 30 seconds).