Tanegashima Shōju Kabuse Shincha
ShōjuenThis tea is made from the Shōju cultivar, which was specially bred by the Matsushita family to be an early budder. Coupled with Tanegashima's extreme southern location, this makes this tea one of the first shinchas harvested in all Japan. Short-steamed to lock in shincha freshness and shaded to enhance colour and umami, this tea balances vegetal, nutty, and fresh aromas
Cultivar: Shōju
Region: Banyamine, Tanegashima
Harvested: April 16th, 2026
Elevation: 213-223m
Shading: Jikakabuse, ~20 Days
Picking: 2-person Handheld Machine
Tanegashima (種子島) is a island of the southern coast of Kyushu, and is one of the southernmost tea growing regions in Japan. Tea has been grown here for just over 100 years, with farmers from Shizuoka setting up tea farms in the early 1900s. The extreme southern location of the island means that it is among the first to harvest tea in the new harvest, and that shincha from Tanegashima is one of the first available on the market.
Shōju is a unique cultivar that was bred and selected by Shōjuen to be early-budding, which in conjuction with Tanegashima's southern latitude makes their Shōju shinchas among the first-picked teas in Japan, harvesting as early as mid-March in some years.
Brewing Instructions
Traditional
Hot Tea
Use 5 g of tea leaves for every 100 ml (3.38 oz) of water
Heat your water to 70ºC (158º F) or cool boiling water by pouring it into the cups, then into the teapot
Let it steep for 45 seconds (+10 seconds for subsequent infusions) before pouring slowly until the last drop. Enjoy!
Shōjuen (松寿園)
Matsushita Eiichi (松下栄市) is the 4th generation head of Shōjuen and continues his family's legacy of growing tea in the southernmost parts of Japan. It was under his leadership that Tanegashima tea became available on the retail market; before this, tea from this island was only sold as crude tea to tea wholesalers
Shōjuen (松寿園) is located in the warm and scenic northern part of Tanegashima, an area ideal for growing delicious tea, with ocean breezes carrying minerals and morning mist. Founded in 1909 by Shizuoka tea farmers, who were searching for land that could produce delicious tea. Today, Shōjuen is headed by the descendents of these original farmers.