Tea by Origin - Japan
Country Statistics & Tea Overview
Our Japan Origin Teas:
Many of The G.S. Haly Co. Japanese teas come from Shizuoka (Tranquil hills) Prefecture just Southwest of Tokyo. The immaculate gardens line cliffs along the sea and go up to the foothills of Mt. Fuji. Shizuoka’s premium teas are famous in Japan and almost half of the classic style green teas grown in Japan come from this area. The unique terrain, mineral rich soil from Mt. Fuji, ample sunshine, mild seasonal climate and one very unique factor of a dense coastal fog micro climate all come together to create superior tea growing conditions. The artistry of the tea growers is especially important as well. Tea has been cultivated in this region from the Kamakura Period (1185 AD). The result is centuries of un-ending and accumulated tea growing and processing wisdom and mastery. We believe you will taste millennium of artistry in these teas.
Greens
Gyokuro Asahi - Item: J147 – Standard Min: 4.4Lbs [Kosher]
Origin: Uji, Japan. Gyokuro literally translated means Pearl Dew. This tea represents the finest non-ceremonial tea produced in Japan. This tea is grown where the first Japanese tea was planted in the Uji district of Honshu near Kyoto. The tea is picked from old bushes that are shaded to reduce the affects of photosynthesis. Everything connected with tending and making the tea is done by hand. A bright and lovely cup, this tea is a treat at any time. This is Japanese tea at its finest level and offers an outstandingly smooth and lightly sweet cup.Sencha Kyoto - Item: J145 – Standard Min: 22Lbs [Kosher]
Origin: Shizuoka, Japan. Of the basic quality levels, Sencha remains the most popular Japanese tea. Accounting for 80% of the more than two hundred million pounds produced annually, Sencha also has different quality levels. Usually steamed and machine-fired, Sencha has a shiny or semi-polished appearance. The better grades of Sencha are produced from first or second flush teas. This very classic Japanese Sencha has the shiny natural leaf with a bright green flavor.Sencha Saga - Item: J144 – Standard Min: 22Lbs [Kosher]
Origin: Shizuoka, Japan. This Sencha offers a dark green natural leaf with a strong green flavor.Genmai Cha - Item: J177 – Standard Min: 22Lbs [Kosher]
Origin: Shizuoka, Japan. Long before tea became affordable to the majority in Japan the peasant class added toasted rice to extend the quantity of tea. Over time it became a classic taste appreciated on its own merits. This mixture of medium-quality, Japanese green tea with toasted rice is a perfect example of tea's versatility.Matcha - Item: 289 – Standard Min: 1Lb [Kosher]
Origin: Shizuoka, Japan. This unique ceremonial powdered tea is clear emerald in color and high in antioxidants. It is also an excellent ingredient for cooking, baking and adding to smoothies.
Country Statistics:
Area: 145,400 sq. miles (376,500 sq. km)
Capital: Tokyo
Main Cities: Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya
Languages: Japanese, Korean, Chinese
Religions: Shinto, Buddhist, Christian
Overview of Japan’s Tea Production
Tea first arrived in Japan in the thirteenth century when monks, having traveled to China, brought the beverage back to their island country. Originally used as a mild stimulant to aide their study and meditation, the monks soon found tea's medicinal properties as well. During the Edo Period, several centuries ago, an entourage of several hundred men was sent each year to Kyoto to bring the shogun's tea back to the imperial palace in what is now Tokyo.
Having borrowed many of the original preparation techniques witnessed in China (like powdered or “matcha”, the Japanese culture has, in many ways, advanced everything from production to service. Today, the Japanese Tea Ceremony is an important part of the Japanese culture yet its roots can be traced back to the smaller and less ceremonial Chinese Tea Ceremony. Some of the larger tea factories in Japan tend to be high-tech, modern facilities with gift shops and restaurants, while their counterparts in China continue to be fairly low-tech workshops.
Although now a minor agricultural crop for Japan, tea's value lies in its ability to grow on hillsides where other crops, especially rice, are less of a financial proposition. During the twentieth century, Japan has, at times, produced all major forms of tea. At the beginning of the twentieth century the production of small quantities of oolong was common, but quality could not compete with teas being produced in Taiwan or the Fujian province of China. The limited production of black teas eventually ceased in 1971, putting Japan in the unique position of being the only major producer to process green tea exclusively. They are prepared in three styles – pan-fired, basket-fired and natural leaf. Within these styles there are several quality levels: Bancha, Sencha, Gyokuro and the ceremonial tea Matcha. The vast majority of production is the middle quality grade Sencha.
Clonal planting in Japan started in the 1930's. Today 80% of the bushes in Japan are clonal, with the most predominant, Yabukita clone accounting for more than 85%. The biggest drawback from having one dominant clone is the short plucking season, as all the bushes tend to flush at the same time. Also, one clone limits the variety of flavor components, thus restricting any variety in the flavor of the finished product. Japan's tea industry is a flurry of activity in the months of April and May during which the prodigious growth of the first flush makes up between 60% and 80% of the total annual crop. Second flush occurs in late June, the third and final flush in July and August. Often times the poor-quality, third flush is not harvested.
