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About this Matcha
This Ooiwase is produced by one of Yame’s most respected tea figures, Eshimaさん, whose work continues to define the region’s highest standards. Eshimaさん was awarded the prestigious Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Prize (農林水産大臣賞) in 2014 for his contributions to the advancement and preservation of Yame tea. He also serves as president of the 700-member Miroku-en tea co-operation, which includes many of the producers Ooika has featured, such as Kumaさん and Kurazumiさん.
After harvest, Eshimaさん sends the unrefined tea (Aracha) to Nakashimaさん, a 6th-generation master tea refiner, for final refinement. Nakashimaさん applies a carefully controlled Hiire (light firing) at approximately 90–100°C for 12–30 minutes, customized specifically to this batch.
This delicate firing helps set and stabilize the flavor, reduce moisture, and preserve freshness without pushing the tea into excessive roastiness. Freshness, color, and roasty aromatics exist in careful tension, and achieving balance requires deep experience. Nakashimaさん’s refining house has been in continuous operation for over 130 years, and each Hiire is expertly adjusted.
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To make a fresh and smooth bowl of Usucha or Koicha, follow our whisking instructions.
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Long-term Storage: Store unopened Ooika Matcha in the refrigerator. Consume within 6 months.
Room-Temp Short-term Storage: Store opened Ooika Matcha in a cool, dark place away from sunlight. Consume within 3 months.
Refrigerator Short-term Storage: Opened Matcha can be stored in the refrigerator to help maintain freshness, however, the Matcha is at risk of condensation when cooler than ambient air. For this reason, if you choose to store an opened Matcha in the refrigerator, be sure to take the Matcha you need and then immediately place it back in the refrigerator to minimize exposure to the warm air.
Ochairinikki (御茶入日記)
Category Green tea (お茶) |
Subcategory Oishitacha (おおいしたちゃ) |
Cultivar Ooiwase (おおいわせ) |
Producer Eshimaさん |
Terroir Yame, Fukuoka, Japan |
Vintage 2025 |
Harvest Time Single Spring Harvest (一番茶) |
Harvest Method Senteiki (剪定機) |
Shading Style Kanreisha (寒冷紗)) |
Shading Duration 19 days |
Milling Ishi-Usu (石臼) Stone-Milled by Ooika |
Packaging Cold-stored, oxygen-free bag |
Producer Details
Eshimaさん
President of the Yame Miryoku-en Co-operative 八女美緑園製茶, with over 700 members.
His expertise has helped grow Yame to international recognizability.
Awarded the highly prestigious Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Prize (農林水産大臣賞) in 2014 by The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries for his work in supporting tea from Yame.
Nakashimaさん
6th-generation master tea refiner, located in the heartland of Yame.
Part of the refining process of Yamecha is a final toasting step known as “Hiire.”
Each batch of unground Matcha, known as Tencha, is individually examined and bespoke roasted.
CULTIVAR
Ooiwase (おおいわせ)
One of the benefits, and biggest drawbacks of genetically identical plants (cultivars) is harvest timing. An entire farm consisting of Yabukita, for example, would need to be harvested on the same day. This makes the farm predictable, but also means all the work is concentrated into one day when all the plants are ready to harvest.
To offset this, farms typically plant cultivars not only for differences in taste, but for differences in timing. Cultivars planted that are ready for harvesting later in the season are known as “Oku” meaning late, such as “Okumidori” (late green.) Cultivars planted that are ready earlier than the average plant are known as “wase” which means early-ripening.
Ooiwase (大井早生) refers to the Ooi River (Oigawa) region of central Shizuoka, with "wase," the word for an early-maturing cultivar. Ooi also refers to the seaweed like aroma associated with excellent shading, known as “Ooika.”
Bred at the Shizuoka Prefectural Tea Experiment Station along side Tsuyuhikari in the 1970s, as a cross between Yabukita and Taekho specifically to be a high-yield, early ripening cultivar for staggered Sencha production. As an early ripening cultivar, it is susceptible to frost damage. Its growth in Shizuoka is well suited.
Taste wise, Ooiwase is said to be refreshing, with a strong aroma, and a suitable balance between astringency and umami. Early ripening cultivars have a specific purpose in the tea industry, and Ooiwase is a fairly uncommon cultivar with a peak of 140 hectares within Shizuoka prefecture.
TERROIR Details
Yame, Fukuoka, Japan
Located in the northwest sector of Kyushu Island, Fukuoka Prefecture stretches to the east, connecting to Japan's main island, Honshu, through the Kanmon Straits. Traveling west, we reach the Saga Prefecture, known in the old times as the Hizen province, which encompassed the current Nagasaki Prefecture. Hizen was an entrance to Japan from the Korean Peninsula and mainland China. Fukuoka became a road for all the merchant goods and immigrants traveling through the mainland island on their way to, perhaps, Kyoto, the capital at that time. Fukuoka is still a bustling city known for its night food culture and Yame tea.
Zen Buddhism followed the same old path. Eisai, believed to have introduced tea seeds into the country together with earlier monks, planted some in the Sefuri Mountains, now the border with Saga Prefecture, where some remnants of a temple complex still exist together with their tea field. Fukuoka and other Kyushu prefectures are known as centers of Kamairicha production that used pan-firing instead of steam from the Chinese and Korean influences in the region. In the early 19th century, the prefecture eventually embraced steaming techniques developed in Uji, which would inevitably shift its production methods.
Yame, in the south of the prefecture, is regarded as an excellent terroir for Gyokuro. Thanks to the adoption of shading, long steaming, innovative farming techniques, and rich variations of nutrient-rich soil types. Yame has consistently dominated the Gyokuro competitions for many consecutive years.
