The Oldest Tea in Japan, Twice Over
Shiga says tea began at Asamiya twelve centuries ago. Nara says the same of the year after.
産地TEA REGIONS8 posts
Eight Names, One Tea
Nara sells eight district names as one word — and is one of the four prefectures behind Uji tea.
The Biggest Tea Region You Have Never Heard Of
Mie makes 74% of Japan’s gyokuro — and is one of the four prefectures whose leaf may be sold as Uji tea.
Japan’s Largest Tea Town Is Nineteen Years Old
Minamikyushu grows about a sixth of Japan’s tea. The city was created in 2007, and Kagoshima passed Shizuoka in 2024.
The Most Protected Name in Japanese Tea
Three trademarks and the first GI given to a Japanese tea — and the name itself was invented at a meeting in 1925.
The Tea Town With No Name of Its Own
Mori has no protected tea name, and its leaf can legally be sold as Kakegawa. It got known through a 1930s ballad instead.
The Prefecture That Barely Makes Tea
Aichi is 14th in Japan for tea and 4th for the leaf that becomes matcha — and Nishio’s rules are stricter than Uji’s.
Where Uji Matcha Actually Comes From
The name is a rule about finishing, not a promise about a field — and Uji City grows 3.6% of Kyoto’s tencha.
抹茶MATCHA4 posts
The Difference Between Tea and Matcha
Same leaf, two worlds — where steeping ends and stone-grinding begins.
The Matcha Latte Boom: How a Quiet Tea Took Over the World
From tea ceremony to TikTok — and the 2025 shortage behind your cup.
How to Make Matcha: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide
Sift, whisk, and the small details that decide a smooth bowl.
Is Matcha Good for You? An Honest Look
An evidence-based look at what matcha really does — and where the health claims get overstated.
お茶TEA14 posts
Hojicha Caffeine: How Much, and Why It's So Low
About 7–15mg a cup — among the lowest of all true teas. An acupuncturist explains exactly why.
What Is a Hojicha Latte?
Roasted green tea whisked into warm milk — caramel-toasty, low caffeine, matcha's cosier cousin.
Hojicha vs Matcha: Caffeine, Flavour and Which to Choose
Same plant, opposite cups. The bright morning lift versus the quiet roasted evening.
What Does Hojicha Taste Like?
Toasty, nutty and caramel-sweet, with no bitterness — it tastes nothing like grassy sencha.
Hojicha Benefits: An Honest Look
Low caffeine, easy on the stomach, a calming aroma — the real benefits, with no hype.
Japanese Tea for Beginners: Everything You Need to Start
New to tea? The types, the tools, and how to brew your first cup.
Powdered vs. Leaf Green Tea: How to Brew Each One
Got powder instead of leaves? Here's how to brew every type.
What Is Hojicha? Japan's Roasted, Low-Caffeine Green Tea
The green tea that doesn't taste green — toasty, sweet, low caffeine.
How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Sencha Green Tea
Three simple things turn bitter green tea into a sweet, umami cup.
Caffeine in Japanese Tea: The Complete Guide
Does green tea have caffeine? How matcha, sencha and hojicha compare to coffee — the full picture.
Green Tea Benefits: What the Evidence Says
Heart, metabolism, focus — an honest, evidence-based look at what green tea actually does for you.
How to Brew Japanese Green Tea
The right water temperature, leaf amount and steeping time — brew sencha and gyokuro properly.
Hojicha Powder: What It Is and How to Use It
The roasted, low-caffeine powder for lattes and baking — what it is and how to use it.
Genmaicha: The Cosy Brown Rice Green Tea
An honest guide to brown rice green tea — its toasty flavour, caffeine and everyday appeal.
お茶雑学TEA NOTES2 posts
Why Japan Drinks Green and Europe Drinks Black: A Story of Water
The answer is in the water — soft versus hard, and the geology that shaped both.
Kaga Bocha: The Roasted Twig Tea Loved in Kanazawa
A connoisseur's roasted twig tea from Kanazawa — toasty, sweet, low in caffeine.
歴史HISTORY1 post
The History of Japanese Tea: From China to the Tea Ceremony
From the mountains of China to the tea rooms of Kyoto.
お茶道具TEA WARE15 posts
How Shigaraki Ware Is Made: The Grains, the Ash and the Embers
Three separate events, in the same three days, none of them chosen.
Shigaraki Ware: The Kiln That Tea Masters Redesigned
Bizen and Tokoname were discovered by tea. Shigaraki was redesigned by it.
Does Red Clay Really Make Tea Taste Better?
Everyone repeats it. Somebody measured it. The effect is real — and the usual explanation is wrong.
Tokoname Ware: The Town Where Japan’s Teapots Come From
It made sewer pipes before it made teapots — and that is exactly why its kyusu are good.
How Bizen Ware Is Made: The Clay, the Kiln, and the Marks of Fire
The markings are not accidents. Each one records where the pot stood in a kiln fired for a fortnight.
How to Clean Japanese Tea Ware — and What Never to Do
Almost nothing in a Japanese tea set gets broken. It gets washed wrong. Clay, iron and bamboo, one habit each.
Yunomi: Why the Japanese Teacup Has No Handle
The missing handle is the most deliberate thing about the cup. Wall thickness, rims, and which cup is which.
How to Store Green Tea — and Why Yours Has Gone Flat
Green tea is held still, not preserved. The five things ruining yours — and the refrigerator mistake.
Yuzamashi: The Japanese Way to Cool Water for Green Tea
Boiling water is what ruins most Japanese green tea. The small bowl that fixes it — and the free way to do the same job.
Japanese Tea Ware: What Each Piece Does & What to Buy First
Every piece solves one physical problem. Once you know which, you know what to buy — and in what order.
The Nambu Tetsubin: An Iron Kettle Born for Tea
Born from the tea ceremony, perfected over 300 years — and why iron makes tea mellower.
How to Choose Your First Matcha Bowl and Whisk
The smallest set of tools to begin, and how to choose ones that age well.
How to Choose a Japanese Teapot (Kyusu): A Beginner's Guide
The side handle, the filter, clay vs glaze — which teapot to start with.
Bizen Ware: The Unglazed Clay Cup That Grows With You
Japan's oldest unglazed pottery, born in Okayama and loved by tea masters — why this rugged clay cup grows more beautiful with use.
Japan's Six Ancient Kilns
Bizen, Shigaraki, Tokoname, Tamba, Echizen and Seto — the six historic kilns behind Japanese pottery.
レシピRECIPES3 posts
How to Make a Hojicha Latte (Easy Recipe)
An easy hojicha latte for powder or leaf, hot or iced — measurements, milk tips and more.
How to Brew Hojicha: Temperature, Time and the Easy Way
Near-boiling water, a short steep — why roasted tea is the most forgiving green tea to brew.
7 Easy Japanese Tea Recipes (Matcha Latte, Cookies & More)
From matcha latte to leftover-leaf pesto — 7 simple recipes.
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