Japanese green teas are steamed rather than pan-fired, which gives them a bright green color and a fresh, savory, umami-rich taste. Explore loose leaf sencha green tea, gyokuro, hojicha, genmaicha and more, and brew them cooler and shorter for the sweetest cup.
Japanese Green Tea
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About Japanese green tea
Japanese green tea is steamed right after picking instead of pan-fired, which keeps the leaf deep green and gives the cup a fresh, savory, umami-rich taste. Sencha green tea is Japan's everyday tea, grown in Shizuoka, Uji and Chiran, while gyokuro is shaded for weeks before harvest for a sweeter, fuller cup. All our Japanese green teas are loose leaf: brew most sencha at 160–175°F (70–80°C) for 1–2 minutes, and gyokuro cooler, around 140°F (60°C).
Everyday sencha such as Shizuoka Tsuyu Sencha and Chiran Sencha sit beside deep-steamed Fukamushi Sencha Kakegawa. Shade-grown gyokuro like Yame Gyokuro Grade 1 and Imperial Okabe Gyokuro are rich and sweet.
For a toasty cup, try Hojicha or Superior Miyazaki Hojicha. Gen Mai Cha Supreme mixes green tea with roasted rice, and Kukicha Kabuse is a light, sweet twig tea. Prefer powdered tea? Browse our matcha.
Japanese green tea FAQ
How do I brew Japanese green tea?
For sencha, use 1 teaspoon per 8 oz cup and water at 160 to 175°F. Steep 1 to 2 minutes. Gyokuro likes more leaf and cooler water: about 2 teaspoons at 130 to 140°F for about 2 minutes. Roasted hojicha can take hotter water, around 195°F.
What is fukamushi sencha?
Fukamushi means deep steamed. The leaves are steamed longer than regular sencha, so they break into finer pieces. The cup is darker green, richer and smoother. A fine mesh strainer helps.
What are genmaicha and hojicha?
Genmaicha is green tea mixed with toasted brown rice, so it tastes nutty and warm. Gen Mai Matcha adds a dusting of matcha. Hojicha is green tea roasted until it turns reddish brown, with a toasty, mellow flavor and very little bitterness.
What is kukicha?
Kukicha, or twig tea, is made from the stems and stalks of the tea plant instead of the leaves. It brews a light, sweet, slightly nutty cup. Brew it like sencha, at about 175°F for 1 to 2 minutes.