Yamazakiさん Ujihikari (うじひかり) Gokasho Uji Matcha. 20g
Clean. Spring Asparagus. Shiitake.
Both light and uplifting, while retaining depth. Cool spring vegetable notes, raw shiitake, and a wonderful juicy crispness.
🏆 Awarded Producer
3X Recipient of the highly prestigious Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Prize (農林水産大臣賞.)
Stone-Milled: Fresh Ground in Lawrenceville, NJ
About this Matcha
From the same farmer & field as this year’s first place (1-1) winner of the Japanese National Tea Competition Tencha (underground Matcha) division.
This Uji-hikari has the same characteristic brightness one would expect. It’s savory and trufflesque, gently toasted in aroma with clear dew-sweet freshness.
With water, lightens into shamrock tones; multi-layered tones like the mother of pearl. Unmistakable sweet potato note in the aroma with nori Ooi.
Crema has a deeply saturated, emerald appearance. Juicy and rich, mouth-coating and fully encapsulating. Clean and uplifting, raw shiitake with a pulsating aftertaste that coats the throat.
Complex, and mysterious, deep while retaining lightness — hourglass in shape. Blanched, then iced fresh asparagus, and raw persimmon. Cooling in the palette and warming in the stomach. Milk-stout balance.
A refreshing, clean astringency causing ample salivation.
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Ooika is thrilled to offer this exceptionally rare and historic Matcha, from the fields of Yamazakiさん in Gokasho Oyagijima, Uji, Kyoto.
Every year, Japan holds the annual National Tea Competition (全国茶品評会基本要綱) which judges 7 teas across 8 different categories.
This year (2023) marked the 77th year of the competition, held in Yame City, Fukuoka to celebrate the 600th anniversary of tea production in Yame from between 22nd-25th of August. The importance of this event can not be understated.
Yamazakiさん was this year’s first-place winner in the first category for the Tencha (Unground Matcha) division for his Ujihikari cultivar, which achieved a perfect score.
Through a chance meeting after a conversation with another Uji farmer we source from, we were introduced to Yamazakiさん and enjoyed a bowl of Matcha at his family home.
Ooika was allowed to purchase Tencha from the very field that won this year’s first place in the National Tea Competition. Never before has Yamazakiさん’s single-estate Tencha made it to the United States.
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To make a fresh and smooth bowl of Usucha or Koicha, follow our brewing 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) |
Producer Yamzakiさん |
Terroir Gokasho Oyagijima, Uji, Kyoto |
Vintage 2023 |
Cultivar Ujihikari (うじひかり) |
Harvest Method 100% handpicked (手摘み, Tezumi) |
Shading Style Traditional rice straw (ほんず, Honzu) |
Shading Duration 43 days |
Milling Ishi-Usu (石臼) stone-milled by Ooika |
Packaging Cold-stored, oxygen-free bag |
Use Usucha, Koicha |
Distinguished Awards
Yamazakiさん is a highly distinguished farmer, with numerous awards and competition placements. Below is a selected, and non-exhaustive list.
First Place, Kansai Tea Competition, for years 2005, 2009, 2013, 2018
First Place, All Japan Tea Competition, for years 2013, 2018, 2023
First Place, Uji-city Tea Competition, won 8 consecutive years placing first from 2012-2019
First Place, 2018 at all four levels and farm appearance... Uji, Kyoto, Kansai & All Japan and Tea Field/Farm Appearance
Yamazakiさん
The leaves of Ujihikari, a favorite cultivar of Yamazakiさん, undulate like the oceanic waves of a Ukiyo-e woodblock print.
Visiting Gokasho
A stunning terroir and birthplace of the world-recognized Ujicha, or “Uji Tea.”
