Yame Matcha Single Cultivar – Yabukita (Ceremonial Grade)

Pure Elegance from the Misty Mountains of Fukuoka

Experience the distinct, unblended character of Japan’s most iconic tea variety. Sourced from the prestigious Yame region in Fukuoka, this Single Cultivar Yabukita Matcha offers a refined balance of tradition and terroir. While most matchas are blends, this single-cultivar expression highlights the specific, bold, and sophisticated profile of the Yabukita plant.

Flavor Profile

• Taste: A velvety, full-bodied experience featuring buttery and nutty sweetness (think roasted pistachios or cashews). It balances a gentle, savory umami with a crisp, refreshing finish
• Aroma: A clean, inviting scent of fresh mountain air and warm, baked greens with delicate notes of white chocolate.
• Color: An intense, vibrant emerald green, indicative of high chlorophyll content from careful shade-growing.

The Yame Terroir

Yame is world-renowned for its high-grade Gyokuro and Matcha. The region’s unique microclimate—characterized by morning mists and significant temperature swings between day and night—stresses the tea plants just enough to concentrate amino acids like L-theanine. This results in a matcha that is naturally sweeter and less bitter than those from other regions.

Product Highlights

• Cultivar: 100% Yabukita (Unblended)
• Origin: Yame, Fukuoka, Japan
• Grade: Ceremonial / First Harvest (Spring)
• Milling: Traditional stone-ground to preserve nutrients and delicate flavor.
• Best For: Traditional Usucha (thin tea), premium iced matcha, or a luxurious matcha latte that holds its character against milk.

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My name is Shintaro, and I come from Ureshino, a small mountain town in Japan with over 500 years of green tea history. Ureshino is widely known as a green tea farming area. Two years ago, I began my journey as a green tea farmer, working closely with an experienced local producer to craft authentic Japanese green tea.

Through these past two years as a farmer, I have realized how difficult it has become to survive in Japan’s tea industry. While green tea prices continue to decline, production costs such as fertilizer, fuel, and electricity keep rising. Without sufficient profit, farmers cannot invest in the fertilizers and care necessary to produce truly high-quality tea. As a result, many skilled farmers are being forced to give up tea production altogether—despite having the knowledge and ability to make excellent tea.

Matcha production requires a completely different environment from Ureshino’s traditional green tea—different soil, cultivation methods, fertilization, and dedicated factories. For this reason, matcha has not historically been produced in Ureshino.

To pursue uncompromising quality, I partnered with a trusted farmer within our network in the Yame district, one of Japan’s most respected regions for matcha. This super-premium matcha is made from 100% Yabukita single cultivar tea leaves and is traditionally stone-ground to achieve an exceptional balance of deep umami, natural sweetness, and refined bitterness.

Production is extremely limited to only 5–10 kg per month, making it a rare offering suitable for tea ceremony practitioners and high-end cafés.

My long-term goal is to team up with farmers in Ureshino, establish matcha production using locally grown tea leaves and facilities, and expand distribution worldwide. Although I am currently introducing matcha from another region, building international demand is an essential step toward making this vision a reality.