Kagoshima Shincha Saemidori Miyanojō

Sencha green tea from the first harvest of the year, 2026.

Origin: Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture

Tea cultivar: Saemidori 100%

TASTING NOTES:

This Saemidori Shincha from Kagoshima brings with it a gentle sweetness- an exciting encounter with the season’s very first spring harvest.

The name Saemidori, meaning “clear green”, comes from the vivid green color of the young first-flush buds and the finished tea’s fresh-green appearance. It is an early-budding tea cultivar created in 1969 at the Tea Research Station in Makurazaki. Bred by crossing Yabukita cultivar (mother tea bush) and Asatsuyu cultivar (father tea bush), it sprouts about 8 days earlier than Yabukita. It is prized for its quality: fresh-green appearance, deep green liquor, and low astringency.

In the preheated teapot, the dry leaves provide a sweetness reminiscent of sweet potato and gently boiled pumpkin, soft in character. When brewed at 80°C for 40 to 45 seconds, the leaves open relatively more deliberately, as if carefully revealing their character.

The first infusion gives a soft, yellowish-green liquor and beautiful, deep-green spent leaves.
The taste is sweetish but refreshing with green and raw, delicate kale-like notes. Lingering in the aftertaste with a clean finish.

The second infusion (85°C for 20 seconds) brings further depth. The leaves continue to open, bitterness stays on the low side, and gentle umami emerges. The tea needs a little time to fully express itself, but the result is a refreshing green character with a sweet aftertaste that develops on the palate.

Even after the third infusion (87°C for 20 seconds), the flavor remains satisfying and intact, making this a delicately processed tea that performs well across multiple brews.

Its slow taste release and balance make it a standout Shincha that is pleasing to brew.

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