Daiki T.

Founder & CEO

First-Flush Tea Harvest: Taking on the Challenge of Abundant Hand-Picking This Year

May is, above all, the month of harvest. From May 7th to June 1st—excluding one day of heavy rain—we harvested our highest-quality tea of the year every single day. While this is always our busiest, most physically demanding, yet most exciting season, this year was particularly special. Our most noteworthy achievement was installing double-layered shading canopies (Niju-hifuku) across four of our fields to challenge ourselves with hand-picking.

Being able to hand-pick the varieties we replanted ourselves—"Hoshun," "Komakage," "Ujihikari," and "Yumewakaba"—brought us immense joy, and we cannot wait to taste the final results. Hand-picking requires holding each branch by hand and plucking only the fresh young shoots one by one. It takes a staggering amount of time and effort.

Fortunately, here in the Yubune district of Wazuka Town, we are blessed with a community of veteran tea-picking ladies (with an estimated average age of over 80). They have been plucking tea since childhood and have spent decades refining their craft in the Shirakawa district of Uji. This year, on our busiest days, up to 13 of these experts joined us. Over the course of two days, about eight d:matcha staff members worked alongside eight of these veteran pickers to produce just 13 kg of the final product (Hoshun Tencha).

Compared to machine harvesting, this process requires dozens of times more labor. However, the beauty of hand-picking is that it allows the tea bushes to grow in their natural shape, fully unlocking their potential. Furthermore, because human eyes and hands select only the finest shoots without damaging them, we can craft Matcha of unparalleled quality. The speed of these veteran pickers is astonishingly fast, and we were honored to have them help us for a total of 17 days this season. As long as there is demand from our customers, we are determined to continue this tradition next year.

We were also blessed with favorable weather. Following a well-chilled winter, the temperatures warmed up gradually without any frost damage, resulting in a harvest yield that was slightly higher than last year. This year, we implemented a two-shift system at our processing factory and increased the size of our field harvesting team. As a result, although we started on the same date as last year (May 7th), we wrapped up the entire harvest by June 1st. Considering it took until June 6th last year, this optimization allowed us to harvest the vast majority of the leaves at their absolute peak plucking period, and we say with confidence that the quality has improved. While we trained hard to prepare our bodies for this intense period and were able to move efficiently, it was still physically grueling. It has inspired me to train even harder for the next season.

Additionally, since our customers have expressed a strong demand for rolled teas like Sencha and Gyokuro, we increased both the variety and volume of our rolled tea production this year.

Lastly, in May, we donated a newly rebuilt Tamagaki (sacred wooden fence) to Hakusan Shrine, a place that always watches over us. The original fence had remained unchanged for over 140 years, and because it was in direct contact with the ground, it had suffered severe termite damage. We installed a solid foundation beneath each panel and completely rebuilt the fence using locally sourced Hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood. The local residents were absolutely delighted.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who enjoys d:matcha's tea, takes part in our tea tours, and stays at our accommodations. It is thanks to your support that we are able to preserve and pass down these precious local cultural assets.

Misato T.

Co-Founder, Head of Design & Operations

What is Shincha (New Crop Tea)?

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!

Hiroki A.

Farm Lead & Head Pâtissier

This Year's First-Flush Tea (Ichiban-cha)

We have reached the latter half of May, and harvesting has finished in most of our fields. While there is only a little left, the first-flush harvest looks likely to continue into the first week of June.

A Hectic Harvest Schedule

This year's first flush started smoothly without any major frost damage. However, the differences in budding timing that usually occur between different cultivars and fields were very small this year. This led to a heavily packed harvest schedule from mid-to-late May. Picking the leaves at the optimal time is the most important factor in producing high-quality tea, and we cannot compromise on this. Additionally, this is an important period where we welcome many overseas guests, so we have to manage that as well. The entire staff is working at a dizzying pace, constantly moving back and forth between the fields and the shop.

A Daily "Triathlon"

We are spending our days doing what feels like a triathlon:

• Before Dawn: We open the factory while it is still dark to begin processing the fresh buds harvested the previous day. Meanwhile, we harvest the next field.
• Mid-Day: Just when we think that is finished, we return to the shop to handle the tea tours currently being held.
• Afternoon into Night: We harvest more fresh buds for the next day's processing. By the time we close the factory, it is already pitch black outside.

While these days are incredibly demanding, thanks to the entire staff focusing heavily on the field work, we have been able to shade and harvest the tea at the exact right times.

This Year's Quality

This year's fresh buds take well to the steaming process, allowing us to make a delicious tea with very little grassiness or off-flavors. We hope you will enjoy the 2026 shincha.

Seiya (Alan) H.

Tea Production Lead

The Flow of a Kenchashiki (Tea Offering Ceremony)

A Kenchashiki is a ceremony held at shrines and temples where tea is offered to deities, Buddhas, or spirits as an expression of gratitude and prayer. It is an event where the Grand Masters (Iemoto) of major tea schools like Urasenke and Omotesenke, or their high-ranking disciples, personally prepare and dedicate matcha. These ceremonies take place throughout the year at various shrines and temples across Japan. Because the ones I was involved with usually took place on the exact same date each year, I would sometimes attend or help out even if it fell on a weekend.

Attending the Ceremony

• Admission & Attire: Generally, there is an attendance fee, and formal attire is highly preferred. While a traditional Japanese kimono is ideal, a suit is also perfectly fine (in my case, as a formal student of the Way of Tea, wearing a crest-bearing kimono and hakama trousers was mandatory).
• What to Bring: You will need white tabi socks (or white socks) and your personal tea utensils (kaichumono, carried in the kimono breast pocket).

During the Ceremony

First, the Grand Master performs the tea preparation (otemae) for about 30 to 60 minutes, and the attendees quietly witness the matcha being offered. Because it is a highly sacred space, speaking or moving around is strictly prohibited. Seating is often first-come, first-served, so if you are lucky, you might get to watch from up close.

After the Offering

Once the offering is complete, all attendees move through several rooms in sequence. Depending on the venue, these include the Honseki (main room), Fukuseki (sub-room) where you can enjoy matcha and sweets alongside a tea preparation demonstration, a Tenshin area (where a simplified kaiseki meal is served), and the Haifukuseki, which is dedicated to receiving matcha and Japanese sweets (wagashi).

Many guests look forward to this part of the ceremony the most. I usually love the sweets and matcha too, but I remember attending one autumn when all three rooms served wagashi containing chestnuts, which I dislike. My friend, who also dislikes chestnuts, and I lamented rather extravagantly, wishing for "just one option without chestnuts."

Behind the Scenes as a Student Helper

Back in my student days, we used to participate by whisking matcha and serving guests behind the scenes in the Fukuseki and Haifukuseki. Efficiency was the priority, so we were ordered to prepare the tea and serve it immediately, which was quite intense. Furthermore, in the Koicha (thick tea) room, three guests share a single bowl. We had to double-check exactly which guest to serve; I remember getting scolded once because I miscounted and served it to the wrong person.

While I mostly helped out at ceremonies within Kyoto city during my student years, a Kenchashiki is also held every year at the Grand Shrine of Ise (Ise Jingu). Our dormitory curfew was normally from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, but on that specific day, we had to leave by 5:00 AM to make it on time. The curfew was specially waived for us, and I fondly remember transferring across train lines to another prefecture before the sun had even risen.

Advice for First-Time Attendees

• Clear half your day: Make sure your schedule is free for at least half a day.
• Enjoy both styles: Since you've gone through the effort of purchasing a ticket to attend, make sure to experience both the Koicha (thick tea) and Usucha (thin tea).
• Prepare for seiza: While some venues offer chairs for viewing the demonstration, you might have to sit on tatami (seiza) for up to an hour. It is a good idea to take precautions (like bringing a small folding seiza stool) to avoid hurting your knees or legs.

Emma C.

Digital Marketing & Web

The Tencha Harvest: from Leaf to Cup

As harvest season arrived in Wazuka, much of my work focused on storytelling, capturing photos and videos and sharing the realities of life on a tea farm with people around the world. To tell any story accurately, I believe you first need to live it. For me at d:matcha, this means that my work is incredibly diverse. While my main focus is on building our digital presence and strategy, I get to also help in the fields and in our day-to-day operations. This month, I wanted to tell the story of what happens on a tencha harvest day, from the leaf, to your cup.

The Fields

The journey begins in the fields. While visitors often see beautiful rows of green tea plants stretching across the valley, harvest reveals another side of the landscape: dark hillsides due to tea trees being shaded. For over 3 weeks, the view outside my window was different than what I've been used to, and I am happy to see the hills come back to green.

Throughout harvest season, different cultivars are picked at different times as they reach their ideal timing. Careful planning and coordination is key to harvest at the best time, but other circumstances like weather (rainy weather halts the harvest) and scheduling can affect harvest timing.

The Harvest

At d:matcha, we harvested both by machine and by hand in a careful balance of efficiency and tradition. Our main harvest method is a two-person manual arched trimmer. Two people stand on either side of the tea row and slowly walk down it while holding the trimmer at a specific angle and height. Height is key as too low harvests old leaves, which would make bitter matcha, while too high does not harvest all the tender young leaves we carefully cultivated.

This year, we also practiced traditional handpicking for the first time, learning from local grandmothers who have been performing it for dozens of years. Handpicking is slow and tedious but allows us to solely pick the best new leaves. We go down every single branch and pick tender leaves growing on the stem. Once leaves are harvested, the clock begins ticking. Fresh tea leaves are highly perishable and must be processed quickly to preserve their quality. From the fields, the leaves are immediately transported to the tencha factory.

The Factory

Stepping inside during harvest is an experience of its own. Freshly harvested leaves arrive continuously throughout the day and move through a series of carefully controlled processing steps. The leaves are first steamed to halt oxidation and preserve their vibrant green color. They are then dried through a specialized process designed specifically for tencha, the raw material used to produce matcha.

What struck me most was the pace of the operation. During harvest season, the factory rarely sits still. Leaves are constantly arriving, machines are constantly running, and every stage depends on the one before it. The work happening in the fields and the work happening in the factory are inseparable parts of the same process.

When we enjoy a bowl of matcha, it is easy to focus only on the finished tea, yet the teamwork required to keep everything moving all reveal aspects of tea production that are often invisible in the final product. Harvest season offers a reminder that every bowl begins much earlier: with the people in the fields, the freshly picked leaves, and the many, many hands that guide them through each stage of their journey.

Sora N.

Confectionary Assistant

Bringing Out the Best of Matcha in Sweets

Hello there! May was the harvest season for our first-flush tea (ichiban-cha), so we have been spending some incredibly busy days here. Compared to last year, I've gotten much more used to the work and have a better grasp of the workflow, which has helped me make fewer mistakes. I've also become able to stay calm and handle troubles effectively when they arise, giving me a real sense of personal growth.

This year's first-flush tea turned out excellent, surpassing last year in both yield and quality. It feels like the team's hard work has truly paid off, and I couldn't be happier. I look forward to continuing to dedicate myself to making even better tea moving forward. Now, in this post, I would like to share what I keep in mind and value most when making matcha sweets.

The most critical factor when creating matcha sweets is to preserve the natural aroma and vibrant color of the matcha as much as possible. Matcha is an incredibly delicate ingredient, and how you handle it drastically changes the final flavor and appearance.

Proper Storage is Key

First and foremost, you need to be careful about how you store your matcha. Matcha is highly sensitive to light, moisture, air, and heat; once opened, its aroma and color will deteriorate over time. Therefore, it is vital to keep it in an airtight container and use it up as quickly as possible. In particular, matcha stored for a long period loses its vibrant green hue and easily turns dull, which negatively affects the visual appeal.

Always Sift Before Mixing

Next comes the importance of sifting the matcha before using it. Although matcha is an extremely fine powder, it clumps together easily due to factors like humidity. If you add it to your batter or dough while still clumpy, it won't mix evenly, leading to uneven baking and a poor mouthfeel. Other effective ways to eliminate clumps include mixing it beforehand with flour or sugar, or blending it with a small amount of liquid to create a smooth paste. While it requires a little extra effort, these methods ensure a beautifully smooth finish.

Baking Temperature Adjustments

Additionally, when making baked goods, you'll want to pay close attention to the baking temperature and time. Heating matcha at high temperatures for too long causes its color to turn brownish, ruining that precious, vibrant green. Avoiding over-baking is the key to a beautiful end product. Furthermore, cooling the baked goods as quickly as possible after they come out of the oven helps prevent further color changes from residual heat.

Artistic Color Pairings

The appeal of matcha lies not just in its taste, but also in its visual beauty. The vibrant green color evokes a sense of the seasons and elegance, making the color combinations you choose highly important. For instance, white chocolate beautifully accentuates the green of the matcha, while adding pink decorations creates a gorgeous, spring-like impression. Pairing it with dark colors like chocolate or cocoa delivers a luxurious, mature vibe.

When making matcha sweets, everything revolves around bringing out the best of the matcha's aroma and color. By paying close attention to your storage methods, ingredient ratios, and baking adjustments, you can draw out the authentic, delicious qualities of matcha. I highly encourage you to give matcha sweets making a try!

Nicolas D.

Fields and Operations

Inside the Tencha Factory: Harvest Season Reflections

We just finished the spring harvest here at d:matcha. It is an intense time since the timely harvest of each field is key to the final quality of the tea. The work involves shading the trees, removing the weeds by hand, harvesting both by hands and machine and processing the leaves.

My work for this year's harvest involved shading, harvesting (handpicking and machine), weeding and for the first time working at the tencha factory. If you had a chance to visit us recently, you probably saw this factory. There are so many machines there. I learned what role they each play in the making of tencha. Here is a short and simplified breakdown of the process:

• Freshly harvested leaves are dropped at the factory.
• A conveyor belt brings the leaves, little by little, to a steaming machine. The steaming is important to slow down oxidation, enabling the tea to remain fresh and green.
• The leaves are blown to the oven. It is a huge multiple meters high and long oven through which the leaves pass 4 times and spend about 20 to 25 minutes drying. When they get out, the leaves are nice and crispy. Delicious!
• The next machines separate the leaves and the stems. We collect the stems for making houjicha and the leaves become tencha (and later, matcha).
• We pack the finished tencha into 15 kg bags, which makes it easier to store and move. This is where the process at the factory ends. The tencha is then ground into matcha at a separate location.

I should add that the factory is cleaned after each day being used. The entire process of making tea from fresh leaves is a lot of work, and it provides me as a tea lover great satisfaction. It's a nice privilege being able to taste tea from a field harvested the same (or previous) day. The tea trees shape the local landscape and provide a serene scenery very adapted to drinking tea... This is something you will experience if you ever visit us in Japan!

It was a successful spring harvest and the work continues. Tours, shipments, more weeding, and there is summer harvest too! It is a continuous process to be enjoyed. Our finished spring 2026 teas are coming and I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do!

Nils G.

Operations and Hospitality

White tea in the spring harvest

In my first spring harvest, I tried to process a small amount of tea myself. It had to be easy enough to succeed, so I focused on white tea. White teas, such as 'Yin Zhen' or 'Bai Mu Dan', are quite well-known Chinese teas. Japanese white teas, however, are still pretty niche.

The production process is simple in comparison to other teas. Of course, it depends on the kind of white tea, but the main idea is simply to pick the tea leaves and wait. For green teas, you want to preserve the freshness, so you need to heat the leaves quickly to stop them from oxidizing. For black teas, on the other hand, you want to maximize oxidation by rolling the leaves and crushing the cell walls. With white tea, you do neither. By simply laying the leaves out on a bamboo mat, they will wither over the course of a few days and develop a unique aroma.

Even though the idea is simple, there are many different methods you can use. For example, the leaves can wither in the sun or indoors. Having a thicker or thinner layer of leaves also influences the degree of oxidation. The weather plays an important role because if the air is too dry, the leaves dry out too quickly and the withering time is not long enough. Too much humidity, on the other hand, slows the drying process excessively.

There is also the question of which leaves to use. Yin Zhen uses only the new buds and creates an extremely floral aroma with a very light taste. 'Shou Mei' uses older and larger leaves, which results in a stronger brew, though one that is less floral. An optional step is to bake the leaves after withering. By baking and therefore heating the leaves, you can stop the aging process and focus more on the freshness of the white tea. Bai Mu Dan is an example of such a fresh white tea.

The style of white tea I wanted to pursue is my favorite white tea: 'Moonlight White', native to Yunnan, the birthplace of Pu-erh tea. The leaves are withered indoors and are often not baked afterwards. This gives them the potential to age over several years through oxidation and fermentation processes.

For this batch of white tea, we chose the small Zairai field in front of Hakusan Shrine. These bushes are native to this small plot of land. We picked the bud and up to two leaves, which in theory makes for quite a high-quality plucking standard. After harvesting, we spread the leaves on three flat bamboo baskets, which allowed for good airflow. Because of the approaching harvest season, we could not choose different days and had to take the weather as it was. It was quite humid and not very warm, so unfortunately the conditions were not ideal. Even with only a thin layer of leaves, it took around five days for them to dry, which is longer than I had hoped for. My target was two to three days.

The resulting white tea looks very promising. There are some green leaves, some dark brown leaves, and white hairs on the underside, just as I would expect from a Moonlight White Tea. There is also a faint floral scent coming from the leaves. During the harvest season, there was simply no time to try the new tea, so it was left to develop and deepen in flavor for a month.

The First Tasting

For the first steep, I used water at around 90°C and a steeping time of 20 seconds. This resulted in an extremely clear liquor. The flavor was much stronger than its appearance suggested, though the aroma was unfortunately a little lacking. The tasting notes I had hoped for were honey and flowers, but neither could be found. Instead, there was a slight vegetal character and many notes that were difficult to define. What stood out was the complete lack of bitterness or astringency and, instead, a clear sweetness, almost reminiscent of artificial sweetener.

For the second and third infusions, I used boiling water and much longer steeping times. The liquor remained quite clear, but the flavor became much deeper and, frankly, much better. The sweetness persisted throughout the entire session.

Reflections & Conclusions

• The weather: I believe proper weather conditions are very important, and it may be worth waiting a few extra days for better conditions.
• The cultivar: While I like the idea of using Zairai, I think a single cultivar could improve the overall flavor by focusing on a few strong characteristics instead of spreading in multiple directions.
• The withering process: Indoor withering without baking may be the easiest method, but I would still like to try different styles of white tea. Just because one approach does not work particularly well does not mean that white tea as a whole is unsuitable for this tea material.
• Aging: While the tea may not be at its best right now, I still see potential if it is aged for a couple of months, especially because the sweetness is already outstanding. The aging process should gradually give it some characteristics of a black tea, and I can imagine a very interesting combination of black tea aromas paired with pronounced sweetness.