Few moments in the tea year are as closely connected to the rhythm of the seasons as the arrival of shincha. Meaning “new tea,” shincha refers to the first harvest of the spring season. It is celebrated for its freshness, vibrancy, and the unique character of each new harvest year.
With Shincha 2026 Asamushi Saemidori from Kakegawa, we welcome the arrival of spring in a refined and elegant cup.
Saemidori: bright green and beautifully delicate
The name Saemidori can be translated as “bright green” — a fitting name for a cultivar known for its vivid green appearance and naturally sweet, delicate character.
Saemidori is often associated with a gentle sweetness, refined umami, and a smooth, elegant profile. In this Shincha, the cultivar expresses itself with remarkable freshness. The young leaves bring a lively green character, while a soft sweetness creates balance and harmony.
The result is a tea that is delicate and approachable, yet layered enough to reward careful attention.
Asamushi: lightly steamed, clear and refined
Asamushi means “lightly steamed.” During production, the tea leaves are steamed for a relatively short time. This allows the leaves to retain more of their structure, resulting in a clearer, brighter infusion and a refined, elegant cup.
This style of processing is a beautiful match for Saemidori. The lighter steaming allows the cultivar's fresh, green character and subtle sweetness to shine through, without becoming heavy or overpowering.
Kakegawa: tea from the heart of Shizuoka
Kakegawa is located in Shizuoka Prefecture, one of Japan's most renowned tea-growing regions. The area is known for its rolling tea fields and long tradition of producing high-quality sencha.
A tea from Kakegawa reflects more than just its cultivar and processing style. It also carries the character of its growing region and harvest year. Shincha is, after all, a snapshot of a particular spring — shaped by the weather, growing conditions, and the precise timing of the harvest.
A cup filled with spring
What makes this Shincha 2026 so appealing is the balance between freshness, softness, and elegance.
The first sip is bright and green, followed by a gentle sweetness and subtle umami. The light steaming contributes to a clean, refined texture and a lively finish.
This is a tea that invites you to slow down. Not because it is difficult to understand, but because its nuances gradually reveal themselves as the tea cools and the leaves are infused again.
Brewing recommendation
For a balanced cup that highlights both freshness and sweetness, we recommend starting with:
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Tea: 5 g
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Water: 200 ml
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Temperature: 70–75°C / 158–167°F
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Steeping time: 60–90 seconds
Feel free to adjust the temperature and steeping time to taste. Slightly cooler water can emphasize sweetness and softness, while warmer water may bring out more intensity and structure.
The leaves can also be infused several times, with each infusion revealing a different aspect of the tea — one of the pleasures of a fine sencha.
Shincha 2026: a fleeting moment in the tea year
Shincha is more than simply a fresh harvest. It is an annual moment — the first expression of a new tea season.
While sencha can develop and mature over time, shincha is all about the energy of the beginning: fresh, vibrant, delicate, and unmistakably connected to spring.
Shincha 2026 Asamushi Saemidori from Kakegawa captures these qualities with remarkable elegance. A refined Japanese green tea with a bright character, gentle sweetness, subtle umami, and the freshness of a new harvest.
A cup of tea — and a small taste of spring.