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About this Matcha
Soft gardenia and white floral aromatics lead, immediately expressing Saemidori’s refined character. Bright grapefruit zest and pomelo pith follow before giving way to a gentle sweetness reminiscent of a warm, toasted cacao note through the finish. Fine, silky tannins spread evenly across the palate, creating a smooth, lingering mouthfeel with a quiet roasty sweetness and citrus echo. Clear, composed, and complex, this Matcha showcases Yame’s signature clarity in its most lyrical form.
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Saemidori is a highly versatile cultivar known for its early growth and pronounced umami. Naturally sensitive to cold temperatures, it is best suited to southern regions of Japan or terroirs with favorable microclimates that avoid frost.
It 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.
For this Saemidori, the tea plants were shaded using a reflective Jikabuse (じかぶせ) tarp woven with aluminum strands. At more than 3x the cost of standard shading materials, this method more effectively reflects heat, keeping the tea plants cooler during the critical shading period and encouraging greater amino acid development, resulting in a more refined, aromatic Matcha.
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 to allow the Saemidori’s natural elegance and clarity to remain intact.
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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 Saemidori (さえみどり) |
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 20-25 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 Details
SAEMIDORI(さえみどり)
Saemidori is a highly versatile cultivar with early growth and high umami characteristics. However, it is susceptible to cold weather, making it a popular choice in more southern regions of Japan or terroirs that, with their geographic or microclimate, don’t experience frost.
Luckily, shading techniques for Tencha originated as a frost prevention technique, perfect for growing Saemidori while protecting it. It is a relatively new cultivar, registered in 1990, and it has captivated the hearts of many farmers since then. That is due to its versatility, high price in the tea auctions, and its easily recognized strong umami flavor with an excellent, bright green color.
At peak harvesting season, its leaves have a rubbery, soft texture to the touch, bursting with humidity and pliable. Hand-picked Saemidori creates an experience in a class of its own, rivaling other high-end Tencha cultivars.
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.
