Uji Temomi Gyokuro
Yoshida MeichaenA rarity even in Japan, this hand-picked gyokuro was honzu-shaded for over a month before being masterfully hand-rolled on a charcoal-heated Hoiro in small batches of around 700 grams. Bursting with flavour and sophistication, this is a true gem of Uji tea.
Honzu (本簀) shading is the most traditional shading method. Dating back at least over 400 years, the Honzu method uses the same shelf system as kanreisha but uses a screen of reeds as the first layer of shading instead of synthetic fabric. Though considerably more labour intensive and expensive to construct, the reed screen allows for even more air and moisture to circulate around the plants producing higher-quality, more complex teas. Additional layers of shading are added by placing straw mats on top of the reed screen.
Temomicha (手揉み茶 - hand-rolled tea) usually refers to the extremely rare hand-rolled sencha. Temomi gyokuro is perhaps even rarer. Historically, all gyokuro was hand-rolled, however mechanisation of the sencha rolling process allowed farms to produce sencha and gyokuro faster and cheaper. Hand-rolling would have died out if it weren't for the various temomi preservation societies, which have turned this vanishing tradition into an annual competition. Now extremely rare, hand-rolled teas are made from top quality leaves and processed to perfection.
Like all gyokuro, this tea was first steamed to deactivate the oxidising enzymes. To keep the leaves intact and preserve their fresh flavour, temomicha is steamed very lightly. From there, the leaves are rolled in a multi-stage process designed to break down the cell walls, even out the moisture content, dry the leaves, and finally shape them into tightly-rolled needles. All of this takes over six hours and takes place on a specialised table called a hoiro (焙炉) which covered in washi paper and heated from underneath by charcoal.
The entirely handmade nature of this tea is evident in all aspects of it: the perfect needles, the exquisite 'ooika' aroma, the intact leaves that unfurl as they steep, and the deep and complex umami taste.
Producer: Yoshida Meichaen
Region: Uji, Kyoto
Elevation: 15m
Cultivar: Samidori
Harvested: May 2, 2025
Picking: Hand-picked
Uji city in Kyoto prefecture has long been at the centre of Japanese tea and has been famed for its high-quality matcha production for centuries, dating back to the 12th century. The shading method used to produce modern matcha (c. 15th century) along with sencha (1737) and gyokuro itself (1835) were all invented by Uji farmers looking to push the boundaries of tea quality.
Though the name Ujicha remains associated with high-grade tea, most tea branded as Ujicha is produced in the neighbouring towns of Ujitawara, Minamiyamashiro, Kizugawa, and primarily Wazuka.
Not to be confused with the more popular Saemidori, Samidori is a classic Uji cultivar. Though it is one of the oldest cultivars, bred by Uji tea breeder Koyama Masajirou (小山 政次郎) in 1939, it is technically unregistered. It was developed to be suitable for shaded teas, with leaves that grow vertically for easy hand-picking.
Today, Samidori is commonly grown in Kyoto for use in gyokuro and matcha where the cultivar’s bright green colour and deep umami shine through.
Brewing Instructions
Traditional
Hot Tea
Use 4 g (0.14 oz) of tea leaves for every 50 ml (1.70 oz) of water
Heat your water to 45º C (113º F) or cool boiling water by pouring it into a yuzamashi, into the cups, then into the teapot
Let it steep for 2 minutes and 30 seconds before pouring slowly until the last drop. Enjoy!
Yoshida Meichaen (吉田銘茶園)
The leader of Yoshida Meichaen is 16th generation farmer Riichi Yoshida (吉田利一) who has been working alongside his younger brother for over 65 years. They are helped out by their sons who will become the 17th generation owners of the farm. Riichi-san is also the Chairman of the Uji Tea Hand-rolling Preservation Association, preserving the hand-rolling method of his grandfather which was certified as an intangible cultural property.
Founded over 200 years ago, the small 2 hectare tea fields of Yoshida Meichaen are nestled in the Ogura district of Uji. When they started growing here, their fields were surrounded by many other farms, but in the past 30 years, these tea fields were replaced by houses and buildings as the city of Uji grew.
Though the scenery may have changed, the Yoshida family still produces tea using traditional methods, such as hand-rolling, hand-picking, honzu straw shading, and sorting tea using traditional bamboo screens rather than modern metal sieves. They have competed in the National Tea Competition every year since it started over 75 years ago, and have won 1st place in the over 20 times.
Since the 14th generation, the Yoshida family has also been entrusted with the management of one of the oldest tea gardens in Kyoto, and perhaps in Japan, at Kosanji Temple in Toganoo, where the bushes were sown with seeds brought from Song Dynasty China by Eisai.