So Much Matcha: An Essential Guide to Green Tea in Japan

High in anti-oxidants and packed with anti-inflammatory properties, green tea (緑茶) is one of Japan’s most popular beverages and an important part of its culture, and can be found all over the country in many different variations. All green tea is made from the leaves of one species of tea plant: camellia sinensis, and the different types of tea are made through varying picking and preparation methods.

Tea field in Shizuoka Prefecture. | Photo by photoAC

Did you know? Japan is the second-largest producer of green tea in the world after China, and within the country, Shizuoka Prefecture (静岡県) accounts for about 40% of production. Other famous tea-producing places in Japan include: 

• Kagoshima Prefecture (鹿児島)―ranked 2nd for production volume
• Mie Prefecture (三重県)―ranked 3rd for production volume
• Uji (宇治) in Kyoto (京都)―known for matcha
• Yame (八女) in Fukuoka Prefecture (福岡県)―known for gyokuro

Freshly harvested tea leaves. | Photo by photoAC

Generally, tea leaves for drinking are processed by steaming, rolling, and drying. After tea leaves are harvested, they are steamed to stop oxidation, and to preserve the green colour, nutrients, and fresh aroma. The tea leaves are then cooled, rolled, and dried, and then further rolled and dried as needed by the type of tea.

6 Types of Japanese Green Tea 

1. Sencha and bancha

A cup of sencha. | Photo by photoAC.

The everyday green tea you’ll drink in Japan is probably sencha or bancha, which differ in the part of the tea plant harvested, as well as the time of harvest. The first harvest in spring is known as ichibancha (一番茶), the second harvest in June is known as nibancha (二番茶), the third harvest in August known as sanbancha (三番茶), while final harvest in October is known as shūtōbancha (秋冬番茶).

Sencha (煎茶) is the most common type of green tea, accounting for about 50% of green teas. It is made exclusively from young budding leaves from the top of the tea plant. Higher-grade sencha is made from the first round of harvest in spring, usually around April and May, as spring-harvested tea is considered to be of higher quality due to the high levels of nutrients that have accumulated over the winter. 

Sencha is usually only made from leaves plucked during the first and second harvests, with lower grade sencha being harvested during the second harvest.

While sencha is made from the young top leaves, bancha (番茶) is made from older, lower leaves from later harvests. With each harvest, the tea leaves that remain grow larger and tougher, so compared to sencha, bancha is less fragrant and more bitter, but is still appreciated for its full-bodied flavour. 

Bancha can be mixed with roasted rice grains to make genmaicha, or roasted to make hojicha.

2. Gyokuro

Gyokuro, a premium-grade Japanese green tea. | Photo by photoAC

Gyokuro (玉露) is considered to be the highest grade of Japanese green tea, and is characterised by its delicate, umami-packed sweetness, which comes from the high levels of theanine, an amino acid responsible for giving a sweet flavour. 

Prior to harvesting, the tea leaves are shaded from direct sunlight for about three weeks in order to stop growth and prevent theanine from becoming catechin, which gives an astringent taste. 

Gyokuro is only made from leaves from the first harvest in spring, and only made in small batches.

3. Matcha

Matcha is finely ground green tea powder. | Photo by photoAC

Matcha (抹茶) or maccha is a finely ground powder made with young tea leaves. Depending on the grade, tea leaves are shade-grown for about 2–6 weeks before being harvested, which reduces photosynthesis and increases chlorophyll content, which makes the leaves greener. The leaves are steamed, cooled, dried, de-veined, and de-stemmed, before being ground by a stone mill into a bright green powder.

While regular tea requires steeping tea leaves in hot water to bring out the tea flavour and then drinking the liquid while setting aside the tea leaves, with matcha you actually consume the ground tea leaves, which are packed with anti-oxidants and nutrients.

4. Kukicha

Kukicha is made from stems, twigs, and branches. | Photo by photoAC

While the previous types of tea are made from tea leaves, kukicha (茎茶) is made mainly from the stems of the tea leaves left over from the production of sencha and gyokuro. Among them, the stems from gyokuro and high-grade sencha are especially prized, and are known as karigane (かりがね).

Kukicha has a light flavour with a mild sweetness that comes from the theanine in the stems. It also contains less caffeine than sencha and bancha.

5. Hojicha

Hojicha is roasted green tea. | Photo by photoAC

Hōjicha (ほうじ茶) is roasted green tea, made by slowly roasting bancha or kukicha over high heat. This process creates a flavourful roasted taste without the astringency or bitterness commonly associated with green tea. Due to the roasting, the resulting tea has a brown colour, and is lower in caffeine compared to sencha and bancha.

6. Genmaicha

Genmaicha is green tea mixed with brown rice. | Photo by photoAC

While the previously mentioned five teas are made purely with the tea plant, genmaicha (玄米茶) is made by mixing bancha or sencha with roasted popped brown rice known as genmai (玄米). The roasted brown rice gives the tea a yellowish colour and unique nutty aroma, which helps to balance the bitterness from the green tea. It also contains less caffeine than bancha or sencha.

Have a Tea-rrific Time with JAPAN RAIL CLUB’s Tea-Themed Snack Box

Now that you are equipped with a little more knowledge about Japanese tea, it's time to elevate your teatime with a tea-themed snack box by JAPAN RAIL CLUB! This May 2024, indulge in our "So Much Matcha" Omiyage Snack Box which features high-quality gyokuro products, matcha-licious snacks, as well as genmaicha teabags—all from tea-famous regions such as Uji, Kyotanabe, and Nishio!