What is Shincha?

The harvest for the 2026 shincha season has come to an end! For tea enthusiasts, the shincha season is a thrilling time—the most important period of the entire year.

What is Shincha?

Directly translated, the kanji for "Shincha" (新茶) means "newly harvested tea." Specifically, it refers to the first harvest of the spring, which is known as Ichiban-cha (first-flush tea). Generally, when people say "shincha," they are referring to the first flush of sencha (loose-leaf green tea), rather than matcha.

What is Hachijuhachiya (The 88th Night)?

This refers to the 88th day counting from Risshun (the traditional start of spring). In 2026, this fell on May 2nd. Historically, it has been common practice to begin the tea harvest around Hachijuhachiya. It has long been treasured as a special tea, with a legend stating that drinking tea picked on this exact 88th night grants perpetual youth and longevity.

However, because the Yubune district of Wazuka Town—where d:matcha is located—has a cooler climate, the tea buds sprout later. As a result, our shincha harvest typically begins around May 8th each year.

The Deliciousness of Shincha

The true appeal of shincha lies in its aroma. That refreshing, breezy scent reminiscent of a wind blowing through green meadows is unique to shincha and comes from a compound called leaf alcohol ($C_6H_{12}O$ cis-3-hexenol). However, this aroma is highly volatile and vanishes in just about one to two months. Be sure to enjoy your shincha before this fragrance fades away!

To Best Enjoy Shincha, Open-Field Cultivated Tea Is Recommended

Sencha is broadly categorized into two types: Roji-cha (open-field cultivated tea, grown without shading) and Hifuku-cha (shaded tea). If you want to enjoy the characteristically refreshing aroma of shincha, open-field cultivated tea is highly recommended. Shaded tea has a strong, unique aroma called Ooika (shading aroma), which resembles seaweed and often masks the crisp, fresh scent typical of shincha.

Because the catechins in open-field tea oxidize easily, its flavor changes quickly over time. We recommend drinking it as soon as possible. At d:matcha, our 2026 open-field shincha varieties include our Zairai (native variety) Sencha and Yabukita Sencha.

Does Matcha Have "Shincha"?

While "shincha" generally refers to sencha, if we had to define a shincha for matcha, it would be the matcha served around November during the Kuchikiri (opening of the tea jar) tea gatherings. This matcha is made from first-flush tencha (the base leaf for matcha) harvested in the spring and allowed to mature. Generally, tencha is not consumed as matcha immediately after harvest. It is typically aged for six months or more to mature the leaves harvested that year.

In Japanese tea ceremony, when transitioning from the furo (portable brazier) to the ro (sunken hearth) in November, there is a special gathering where the seal of the tea jar containing the aged shincha is broken, and the leaves are ground into matcha using a stone mill. (Recently, however, some retailers have begun selling unaged matcha around May or June as "Shincha Matcha.")

We hope you all enjoy the wonderful flavors of the 2026 shincha harvest!