Kirishima sits on volcanic soil in the south of Kyushu, in mountains with ocean on either side. The combination gives a tea that is unusually full for a sencha, deep enough that it is sometimes sold as tennen gyokuro, natural gyokuro.

Kyushu is warmer than Shizuoka and the harvest comes earlier, which is why the first shincha of the season usually comes from here rather than from further north.