For many, Japanese green tea is the moment when tea suddenly gains depth: a vibrant leaf, soft umami notes, clear energy instead of nervousness. At the same time, the sheer variety can quickly seem complicated – Sencha, Kabusecha, Gyokuro, Matcha, Karigane.
This guide will organize that for you:
What makes Japanese green tea special, how do Kabusecha, Gyokuro and Matcha differ – and which style suits your everyday life?
WHAT MAKES JAPANESE GREEN TEA SPECIAL?
In contrast to many Chinese green teas, Japanese green teas are not heated in a pan, but steamed.
This has two effects:
-
More umami & sweetness – amino acids like L-theanine are retained.
-
Fresher aroma – the scent often evokes young greenery, algae, and spring meadows.
In addition, there is the cultivation of shade crops :
The more intensely and for longer the tea bushes are shaded, the more umami, depth and "calm" sweetness the cup displays – with less harsh bitterness.
In very rough terms, the scale looks like this:
-
Sencha – unshaded, fresh, clear, sometimes with a subtle bitterness
-
Kabusecha – semi-shaded, softer, sweeter, more umami
-
Gyokuro – heavily shaded, very umami-rich, concentrated
-
Matcha – shaded tea (Tencha), ground into powder
At NOEMA you will find three Japanese green teas that represent this range well:
Kabusecha Miyazaki , Gyokuro Karigane and Matcha Ujicha .
KABUSECHA MIYAZAKI - PENSHADE BETWEEN SENCHA AND GYOKURO
Kabusecha literally means "covered tea". Shortly before harvesting, the bushes are shaded with nets. Not completely dark like with Gyokuro, but significantly less light than with Sencha.
What you taste in the cup:
-
delicate umami , but lighter than Gyokuro
-
Spring freshness and a clear green tea line
-
soft, calm sweetness, hardly any bitterness
Kabusecha Miyazaki originates from Kyushu and combines the Yabukita and Asanoka cultivars. The result: a green tea with a bright cup, velvety mouthfeel, and a very clean finish – ideal if you're looking for a Japanese green tea with depth, but not a heavy wall of umami.
Preparation as a starting point:
-
2 g per 200 ml
-
60–70 °C, 1–2 minutes
-
2–3 infusions
The cooler the water, the sweeter and softer Kabusecha tastes. With a slightly higher temperature, you get more structure and grip.
If you would like to get to know Kabusecha: Kabusecha Miyazaki can be found at NOEMA as loose Japanese green tea, shaded and carefully processed.
GYOKURO KARIGANE - SWEET UMAMI THAT STAYS MILD
Gyokuro is the classic shaded green tea: The bushes are usually under almost complete shade for over 20 days. This is what makes the cup:
-
extremely rich in umami ,
-
soft,
-
with significantly reduced bitterness.
Karigane refers to stem and leaf vein fractions from Gyokuro production. In NOEMA's Gyokuro Karigane, these stems come from Saemidori Gyokuro from Soo, Kagoshima – that is, from a genuine Gyokuro harvest, not from simple Sencha.
In a cup, this means:
-
very mild bitterness , almost no spiciness
-
creamy texture, clear sweetness
-
light green, calm cup with a good flow of liquid
Gyokuro Karigane is therefore an ideal introduction to the world of umami-focused Japanese green teas if you are looking for the profile of a Gyokuro, but something more suitable for everyday use and gentler.
Preparation as a starting point:
-
2 g per 200 ml
-
60–70 °C, 1–2 minutes
-
2–3 infusions
Cooler water (60–65 °C) brings maximum sweetness and umami, warmer infusions taste somewhat fresher.
If you are looking for Japanese green tea with lots of umami but little bitterness, Gyokuro Karigane is a very good choice.
MATCHA UJICHA - JAPANESE GREEN TEA IN POWDER
While Kabusecha and Gyokuro are brewed as whole leaves, with Matcha you drink the finely ground leaf along with the tea. The base is Tencha – shaded green tea that, after steaming, is not rolled but dried flat and only then destemmed/veined.
This tencha is ground into a very fine powder by stone grinding.
Matcha Ujicha combines two regions of origin:
-
Uji (Kyoto) – a classic region for matcha and high-quality shaded tea
-
Okabe (Shizuoka) – known for clear, fresh teas
In the bowl you will find:
-
rich umami ,
-
creamy texture,
-
calm, soft sweetness,
-
Jade green cup color with fine foam.
Matcha is therefore Japanese green tea in its most compact form – with a clearly noticeable caffeine content, but due to the high theanine content it is often perceived as a very clear, calm energy.
Usucha preparation as a starting point:
-
1.5–2 g Matcha
-
70–80 ml of water at approx. 70 °C
-
Briefly seven, then strike in a W motion
More water makes it lighter and brighter, less water denser and richer in umami. If you want to establish matcha as part of your morning ritual, matcha ujicha is a good base: clear, dense, without any sharp edges.
KABUSECHA, GYOKURO OR MATCHA - WHICH JAPANESE GREEN TEA IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
If you …
-
… new to Japanese green tea
and you're looking for something that is soft, clear and uncomplicated:
→ Start with Kabusecha Miyazaki . He shows you umami without demanding it.
-
… you love umami, but don't want a bitter profile
and you drink many calm bowls rather than a single, very intense glass:
→ Try Gyokuro Karigane . Gyokuro depth, Karigane mildness.
-
… you are looking for a concentrated ritual and a noticeable effect
and see tea as a substitute or complement to coffee:
→ Reach for Matcha Ujicha . Japanese green tea in its densest form – ideal for focused periods.
All three are loose Japanese green tea , handcrafted, without flavorings – with clear origin and a calm, Japanese character in the cup.
