Wazuka in Uji is the most prestigious site of sencha production in Kyoto. Assiduously produced from straight yabukita leaves, this sencha offers yabukita’s unique “masculine” aroma and slightly strong umami, balanced with a restrained astringency and bitterness. The finished product has a gentle flavor true to Kyoto’s green tea style. A rare delicacy – the standard-bearer for top-grade green tea from Wazuka in Uji.

The Wazuka River runs through the center of Wazuka, and a hilly area spreads out around the town at an elevation ranging between 200 and 400 meters. Everywhere you look, green tea estates stretch out from the foot of the hills to their peaks. Their orderly appearance makes it readily clear that skilled production methods are alive and well here. Among the tea-producing sites in the region, Wazuka is well-known for its regular pruning regimen throughout the year, which aids the harvest and keeps crops in peak condition.

Uji is the oldest tea-producing region in Japan; most major production techniques developed here first. In particular, the development of unparalleled methods for steamed tea production here helped Japanese green teas – sencha, gyokuro, matcha, and other varieties – yield their unique flavors. Ishitera and Kamazuka are two sites in Wazuka most famous for their green tea production.

Yabukita is a cultivar bred from carefully selected native Japanese green tea strains. This superb varietal accounts for close to 75% of Japanese green tea production. Noted for its rich, deep umami, modest balance of bitterness and astringency, and elegant aroma.

The high grade of green teas produced in Wazuka comes from the corresponding high level of skill with which the tea is cultivated through all steps of the process, from planting to processing. This begins with careful management of the plants’ growth, shade-growing before the harvest, gentle pruning of the leaves with fine scissors, and the final drying process. For that final step, several drying vessels are used and the leaves are dried with the bare minimum of heat, thereby retaining their fresh aroma and flavor.