If you’ve ever dipped your toes into the world of Japanese green tea, chances are you’ve met Sencha – the bright, grassy, umami-rich brew that makes up nearly 70% of all tea produced in Japan. It’s the everyday hero of Japanese tea culture, but as I found out at a recent two-day tasting event at Muyo, Sencha tea is far from ordinary.
The sessions were led by Kayoko Ikeya who is the third generation to run Sayamaen, a teahouse in Tokyo founded in 1951. Day 1 of the workshop was all about exploring two iconic Sencha regions: Shizuoka and Sayama. From mountain-grown teas to seaside fields, and from mellow, deep-steamed Sencha to punchy, toasty cups, this was a deep dive into Japanese green tea.
What is Sencha?
Sencha is Japan’s most popular green tea, made by steaming freshly harvested tea leaves to stop oxidation, then rolling and drying them into beautiful needle-like shapes. This steaming method, as opposed to pan-firing used in Chinese green teas, gives Sencha tea its signature fresh, grassy aroma and vibrant green liquor. Depending on where it’s grown, when it’s harvested, and how it’s processed, Sencha can range from light and floral to rich, bold, and umami-packed.
How is Japanese Sencha Made?
Production methods vary from producer to producer, but the overall process follows a familiar path:
- Harvest: Usually in spring, with first flush teas prized for their sweetness and depth.
- Steaming: This can be regular steaming or deep steaming, depending on the desired outcome and flavour profile, to halt oxidation.
- Rolling: The leaves are shaped into fine needles while releasing moisture.
- Drying & Firing: The final step locks in flavour, sometimes with a signature regional twist, like Sayama Hiire (Sayama’s strong firing), that adds a toasty, warming aroma.
Shizuoka-cha
Shizuoka, located on Japan’s Pacific coast, is the country’s largest tea-producing region accounting for 40% of all Japan’s tea production. Tea cultivation here dates back to the 8th century, when Chinese monks introduced it to Japan, immediately becoming a hit among emperors and shoguns. And Shizuoka was the first region to export tea internationally in the 1800s.
The region has a diverse range of terroirs – from mountain-grown tea in cooler, misty highlands to seaside flatland tea closer to the coast – meaning that Shizuoka Sencha offers a wide variety of flavours and aromas. A surprising fact that I learnt was that blended Sencha is quite common, often combining leaves from multiple prefectures to create balance and complexity.
Sayama-cha
In contrast, Sayama-cha from Saitama Prefecture accounts for just 2% of Japan’s tea production. Located close to Tokyo, these teas are usually only found in the local area. Even in other tea-loving cities like Kyoto, they’re considered niche and a little too bold for some tastes.
Sayama’s hilly topography and colder climate mean its first harvest comes later (around mid-May, compared to late April in Shizuoka). The area is heavily forested and incredibly beautiful – the Sayama Hills even inspired Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro.
Because production is so small-scale, it’s much easier to trace exactly where your Japanese green tea came from and who made it. Sayama is also known for its Sayama Hiire firing method, giving its Sayama Sencha a richer, toastier profile.
How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Sencha
This part of the session was a real insight for me. I’m used to brewing tea gongfu style, and the only Japanese tea brewing method I know is Matcha. Kayoko shared a very precise yet mindful brewing method to get the best from Sencha. This method is for 3 people, using 3 x 80ml cups (240ml total).
- Boil the water and pour it into the 3 teacups (each teacup holds 80ml). This cools the water by about 10°C.
- Measure 6g of tea (about 1 tsp per person) into a kyusu teapot.
- Pour the water from the cups into a jug. The water should now be around 80°C (no visible steam, warm to the touch).
- Pour the cooled water in the kyusu teapot. Steep for 30 seconds. Do not shake it, otherwise the tea will become bitter.
- Pour the tea into the cups in rotation to ensure even flavour. Keep going “right down to the last golden drop!”.
Sencha can be infused 3-4 times, and the 1st infusion is very important. All of the liquid needs to be removed otherwise the 2nd infusion will be bitter. Hence the “last golden drop” mantra. The steeping time is also important so as not to extract all of the flavour in the 1st infusion.
Comparing the Difference Between Shizuoka and Sayama Sencha
Gogumi Blend Sencha
This Gogumi Blend Sencha is a regular-steamed blend from Shizuoka, Kochi, and Miyazaki blended by tea master (chashi) Fumio Maeda. Gogumi refers to the highly skilled tea blending technique.
The Senchas that I’ve sipped on in the past have been delicate and sweet, so this came as a complete surprise. It was punchy! Strong vegetal notes as well as sweet, a really amazing balance of flavours and aromas. It was rich, silky smooth with a thick mouthfeel. And the liquor was such a vibrant thick green. Really beautiful, I guess I’ve never tasted a master tea blender’s Sencha before, such a treat!
As the summer here in Helsinki is crazy hot this year, we also tried a cold brew version. So nice – very refreshing and sweet, but it was missing some of the complexity of the hot brew.
Sayama Sencha “Honoka”
The Sayama Sencha “Honoka” is a blend of Fukumidori and Yabukida cultivars, processed with Sayama’s signature strong firing, Hiire.
The 1st infusion was again very punchy with a lovely balance between grassy and sweet. I could definitely detect the toasty notes from the firing, and a really yummy umami taste. The flavours and mouthfeel got even more intense through the next couple of infusions. By the 3rd infusion, it was almost akin to matcha and had a lovely long aftertaste.
Fukamushi Sencha “Hiyori”
Fukamushi Sencha “Hiyori” is a deep-steamed Sencha from Kakegawa City in Shizuoka’s flatlands area – a style known for producing a smooth, mellow brew.
This was quite different from the other two Senchas. It was much more mellow and easy-going, and I got a lovely seaweed aroma off the brewed leaves – a nod to its seaside location. In contrast to Sayama Sencha “Honoka”, the 2nd infusion was lighter in flavour but Kayoko informed us that this tea can go for 5 or 6 infusions. We also tried this as a cold brew using 8g of tea with about 500ml water for just 1 minute. I thought this cold brew worked even better than the 1st one we tried with Gogumi Blend Sencha. It was refreshing and sweet, with a good rounded flavour profile.
Bonus: Shaken Matcha
From the same grower as the Hiyori Sencha, this was an easy, on-the-go matcha: just pop one of the sealed teabags into 500ml of water, shake, and drink – no whisk, no sieve! Cold, refreshing, and perfect for summer wanderings.
Wrapping Up Day 1 of My Japanese Tea Tasting Adventure
What a great session, my eyes have been opened to the world of Japanese Sencha! From Shizuoka’s bright, versatile blends to Sayama’s bold, toasty brews, I came away with a greater appreciation for this iconic Japanese green tea.
And that’s just the beginning – Day 2 is a further deep dive into Sayama’s history, traditions, and rare hand-rolled teas. But that’s a story for the next post…
