Many years ago I tried the Koushun cultivar for the first time at Chachanoma. It was a delightful experience. Unfortunately, time passes and now I can barely remember what...
Nio Teas Gokou Matcha Koiai
This is the first product that I review from Nio Teas, an online store that sells Japanese tea. Although the Gokou cultivar is commonly found in the Uji region,...
Zojirushi VE Hybrid Water Boiler
The first time I saw a Zojirushi water boiler was when I lived in Japan. It’s a popular brand there. I bought one when I left Japan and I...
Maiko Tea Nomigoro Gyokuro
I visited Maiko Tea many years ago when I was on a tea tour in Kyoto prefecture. What I remember the most is that they served me a gyokuro...
Mitocha Makibi Kancha
I’ve known about kancha for years, but I only managed to get my hands on a sample now. It is quite rare. In fact, this isn’t the original one...
Stories of Japanese Tea (Book Review)
Thanks to Princeton Architectural Press, I obtained a copy of this book before it was published. The author is Zach Mangan, founder of Kettl. I haven’t tried their teas...
Tezumi Handpicked Honyama Sencha
Since most Japanese tea is harvested by machine, obtaining one picked by hand isn’t easy. I’m very eager to taste this asamushi (light steamed) sencha from the Honyama region...
Tales of The Tea Trade (Book Review)
This book was published a few years ago by Michelle and Rob Comins. They own Comins Tea, a tea house in the UK. The first chapters introduce the authors,...
Sugimoto Tea Benifuuki Sencha
This tea is an asamushi (light steamed) sencha from Kagoshima prefecture. It’s also organic, and from the first harvest of 2021. Many thanks to Sugimoto Tea for giving me...
Grow Your Own Tea (Book Review)
I had this book in my wish list for more than a year. I hadn’t read it because I thought that I should own a tea plant first. But...
Kagoshima Tea Chiran Sencha
I decided to start 2022 by reviewing a high quality sencha from Kagoshima Tea. The Chiran region refers to Minamikyūshū city, Kagoshima prefecture. It is a blend of first...
Wakoen Ou No Kaori Matcha
If I’m not mistaken, this is the highest grade matcha that Wakoen offers. It’s made with tea leaves from the first harvest in Kagoshima prefecture. Since this is my...