Yame Kirari 31 Sencha
Yamecha KumaenRegistered in 2004, Kirari 31 was developed as a cold-resistant, early-budding cultivar, boasting an elegant balance of aroma and umami, as expressed in this unshaded offering from Yame.
Producer: Kumaen
Region: Yame, Fukuoka
Elevation: 330m
Cultivar: Kirari 31
Harvested: April 29, 2025
Picking: Handheld Machine
Located in the south of Japan, Yame (八女) is best known for its shaded teas, namely gyokuro and matcha. Each year, the award for the best gyokuro in Japan usually goes to Yame (with Uji in second place).
Part of why Yame excels is their preservation of high-quality, traditional shading practices in the form of Yame Dento Hon Gyokuro (八女伝統本玉露): Yame Traditional True Gyokuro. This designation is applied to hand-picked teas shaded under straw for at least two weeks.
Outside of their gyokuro, Yame is known for finishing their teas with a relatively strong firing, imparting a nutty aroma, especially in their matcha and sencha.
Kirari 31 is derived from a 1994 cross of Sakimidori and Saemidori and is an early-budding cultivar with high frost resistance. Compared to Yabukita, it has higher levels of amino acids and lower levels of catechins, meaning it is more umami and less bitter. Well-balanced and easy to grow, Kirari 31 has recently received a lot of attention as a potential successor to Yabukita.
Brewing Instructions
Traditional
Hot Tea
Use 2 g (0.07 oz) of tea leaves for every 50 ml (1.70 oz) of water
Heat your water to 75º C (167º F) or cool boiling water by pouring it into the cups, then into the teapot
Let it steep for 60 seconds before pouring slowly until the last drop. Enjoy!
Yamecha Kumaen (八女茶くま園)
Head tea master Masahiro Kuma (久間正大) is a third-generation tea farmer who sees producing Dento Hon Gyokuro as a year-long bet, requiring months of dedicated work in the hope that the spring harvest will yield delicious tea. His goal is to one day make tea that is more than just ‘delicious’, a tea that will move people’s hearts.
Overall operations at Kumaen are headed by Kazumi Nakatani (中谷一美), the fourth generation granddaughter of a tea farmer whose goal is to spread the deliciousness of Japanese tea and Yamecha all over the world.
Founded over 100 years ago, Yamecha Kumaen produces gyokuro, sencha, matcha, and wakoucha in Joyomachi area of Yame in Fukuoka. Kumaen is known for their exceptional Yame Dento Hon Gyokuro, a style of gyokuro that must follow strict, traditional guidelines, such as honzu straw shading and hand-picking. Their Dento Hon Gyokuro consistently wins many awards, with their 2017 harvest even receiving 1st place in the Gyokuro division of the National Tea Competition 2017, with a full score of 200 points.
In addition to the ubiquitous Yabukita, they also grow Saemidori, Samidori, Okumidori, Okuyutaka, Tsuyuhikari, Asatsuyu, Hikari-tsuyu, and Kirari 31 for sencha, tencha, and gyokuro production. They also produce wakoucha using the Benifuki and Benihikari cultivars.