2026 shuppin sencha, single cultivar: yabukita from the Kuma family. This specific field is for competition submission only. The tea was harvested and processed on April 29th. A previous winner at Fukuoka prefecture hinpyoukai sencha category, this year it also won three stars at the Global Tea Excellence Award 2026.

Kuma san, a third generation tea farmer/producer in Jouyoumachi, Yame, Fukuoka prefecture.

This year has been an amazing harvest, despite the worries in the winter time as there was a shortage of rainfall. As spring gradually approached, there was more rainfall so the growth of the tea plants was good and healthy. We also have the honour to work at Kuma san’s tea fields for two weeks so we hope you will enjoy a little bit of our hard work too!

This tea is an excellent representation of asamushicha (light steamed tea). We notice many wonderful notes, umami, fruity, elegant astringency, as we change the temperature and brewing time so we highly recommend experimenting and finding your own preference.