Master Obayashi’s Hijiri Sencha

A handpicked sencha made by the Obayashi family who have been producing award-winning teas over 30 years. Grown on the mountain where the gods of the great Ise Jingu are believed to dwell, hijiri is the Japanese word for sacred. On their small farm of about 10 acres in Okumikawa, Aichi they have maintained many of their 100 year old Yabukita trees just like the locals in these mountains who often keep a row of old tea bushes or yamacha (‘mountain tea’) as they call them. These simple country teas are either produced by hand or taken after picking to a small factory like the Obayashi’s one which helps make many of the local people’s tea.

This sencha is made from a blend of old tree Yabukita and yamacha (a rare form of zairai shu, a term referring to seed-grown botanical varieties of indeterminate cultivars). The leaves are of mixed appearance with many long blades of handpicked, almost intact leaves with a small amount of stem blended in for sweetness. The tea is mild and finely balanced, without excess in any direction, with a nutty, earthy flavour and refreshing astringency. Although not as umami heavy as many other high-quality senchas, this is a tea with a huge amount of character and is easily amongst the best of our Japanese greens.

We recommend brewing this tea with water cooled to 75-80°C and 3-4g of leaf per 150ml of water.

ORIGIN
Obayashi Family Tea Farm, Okumikawa, Aichi, Japan

SIZE OF FARM
10 acres

PLANTS AND PROCESSING
Camellia Sinensis Sinensis, Blend of Yabukita cultivar/Yamacha (Zairai shu). Light steaming (~30 seconds). Ichibancha, Harvested Spring 2024.

BREWING GUIDELINE
75-80°C, 3-4g per cup. 3 infusions.

PLEASE NOTE
Caddy and 250g Refill options are only available online or via ‘Collect from Postcard Teas’ for shop collection, two working days after purchase.