Honyama Kabuse Sencha

Honyama Kabuse Sencha, from the renowned tea-growing region of Honyama (also known as Tamakawa), is highly regarded among connoisseurs of Japanese teas. In this region, shaped by the source of the Abe River, ideal conditions for producing high-quality tea can be found. Clear, cool nights and misty mornings, combined with the narrow valleys, create a natural shading of the tea fields. This results in the harvest of the tea leaves for our Honyama Kabuse Sencha taking place about a month later than in the lower-lying areas around Shizuoka.

The tea leaves for Honyama Kabuse Sencha are further shaded before harvest using the Kabuse technique, which enhances the plant’s production of umami. This method not only improves the flavor but also significantly increases the tea’s storability. During our on-site tasting, we found that last year’s harvest of Honyama Kabuse Sencha showed hardly any difference from the current one.

Our enthusiasm for Mr. Sato’s teas, especially for Honyama Kabuse Sencha, is so great that we have included his entire range in our assortment. At our request, Mr. Sato even produced a special batch of hand-picked and hand-rolled Honyama Sencha – a true masterpiece, of which we were able to secure only 200g, the result of an entire day’s careful work. More is not possible, as Mr. Sato and his wife carry out the entire production themselves, and harvesting machines cannot be used on the steep slopes of Honyama.

Mr. Sato focuses exclusively on single-cultivar teas and refrains from producing blends, which are common among larger producers. While blends in Japan certainly have their place – and we also carry several in our assortment – we find that Honyama Kabuse Sencha, with its purity and cultivar-based character, is far more fascinating. It allows one to experience the unique characteristics of each varietal directly, whereas blends tend to provide a more balanced flavor profile.

You can read more about the Honyama tea-growing region and the teas produced there in our detailed photo report of the Honyama tea fields.

Harvest Season: Spring
Aroma: Sweet and refreshing
Terroir: Honyama, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Cultivar: Yabukita
Steaming: Asamushi
How to prepare it: This blog post describes how to optimally brew Japanese green tea.