Where can I buy Japanese Green Tea online?
The Japanese tea industry is large, with an estimated 20, 144 tea farms and thousands of small tea businesses located in Japan. However, it is alarming to think that only about 97% of tea produced in Japan, stays in Japan.
To many farmers, traditional Japanese tea is more than just a business, it is a part of the rich Japanese culture and tradition. This market, sadly, is slowly in decline with the popularity of tea in Japan being replaced by other beverages such as mineral water, carbonated soda, coffee and bottled green tea that is often outsourced with tea leaves from China.
How has Japanese tea supply to the world changed?
Traditionally, tea that was produced in Japan was largely available to only those who lived in Japan. The Japanese tea industry is made from a collection of small tea businesses and tea farmers. The limitations of a small business, language barriers and technical inabilities are just some of the few reasons why there are difficulties in obtaining high-quality Japanese tea varieties from outside of Japan.
Thanks to the internet however, it has now become easier than ever to access specialty Japanese green teas direct from online retailers that source from reputable Japanese tea farms.
Let’s look at the top 5 best-rated retailers to buy Japanese Green Teas online.
Yunomi offers the world’s largest selection of Japanese tea. How is Yunomi able to afford such a wide selection to customers? Yunomi uniquely operates to connect small tea businesses in Japan – particularly the family-owned and operated farms and factories, with access to the global market. Yunomi bridges the gap between consumers worldwide to over 125 small-scale producers of artisanal Japanese tea and products.
By simplifying the supply chain from farm to consumer, customers have the freedom and choice to select from local farms that would otherwise not have been available due to complicated language and logistic barriers separating Japan from the world.
For green tea connoisseurs, you can easily find the categories sorted by the following tea type processing methods:
- Sencha e.g. gyokuro, kabusecha
- Unrefined & derivative teas e.g. aracha, kukicha
- Post-processed & flavored green teas e.g. genmaicha and hojicha
- Other green teas e.g. kyobancha, kamairicha
The Best Features of using Yunomi
2. Hibiki-an
Surrounded by the lush green hills of Uji, where decades of Japanese green tea traditions began, lies a family-owned tea farm named Hibiki-an. Unlike other online green tea distributors, Hibiki-an offers customers a farm to cup experience.
By cutting out the middleman, of a traditional supply chain model, Hibiki-an is able to offer online direct sales of the freshest produce shipping to anywhere in the world.
In the past, the freshness of green tea in Japan was limited as it was more difficult to maintain quality compared to dry preserved teas like black tea or Chinese green tea.
Today, all tea that is grown at the Hibiki-an farm is also harvested and packaged under strict conditions to ensure international customers receive the freshest green tea.
At Hibiki-an you will find popular types of Japanese green tea including
- Gyokuro
- Sencha
- Genmaicha
- Hōjicha
- Matcha
The Best Features of using Hibiki-an
3. MYCHA TEA CO.
If you live in Australia and are after a local family run business, look no further than MYCHA. As an Australian-Japanese family business, MYCHA follows the philosophy of sharing generations of Japanese culture through authentic Japanese green tea.
MYCHA features a range of self-branded popular Japanese green tea types including:
- Sencha
- Genmaicha
- Gyokuro
- Matcha
- Hōjicha
- Kukicha
- Benifuuki
- Bancha
These are also available in organic varietals in powder, tea bags or loose leaf. With a local warehouse in Australia, Australian customers can expect a fast delivery time with same day dispatch (for orders before 2pm).
Best Features of using MYCHA
4. Tealyra
As lovers of all tea, Tealyra shares the passion of offering high standards of authentic tea from origin, including Japan. Tealyra began from a tea lovers dream and started with creating unique tea blends based on the exploration of tastes and knowledge.
Japanese green tea types sold by Tealyra are self-branded unique combinations created to offer a wide selection of teas you may not find elsewhere.
The philosophy of Tealyra is deeply rooted in offering the best tea there is and having the widest collection of different blends. They are able to do this by regularly updating stock, sampling new crops and discovering limited edition teas.
Best Features of using Tealyra
5. Curious Tea
Curious Tea is a new way of drinking tea for the tea lover that wants to explore and broaden their knowledge of different teas. High-grade premium loose leaf tea is sourced from different countries including India, China, Taiwan, Sri Lanka and of course Japan.
Whilst there is a wide selection of teas available for sale, Curious Tea features a monthly tea subscription option. Subscribers will receive a box every month with two (Classic) or four (Discovery) different types of high-grade premium loose leaf tea and detailed descriptions of the tea type including:
- Tea name e.g. Ariake Fukamushi Sencha
- Origin e.g. Ariake, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
- Elevation e.g. 100m
- Cultivar e.g. Yutaka Midori
- Harvest time e.g. May 2020
- Source e.g. direct from producer
- Taste e.g. savoury, sweet, vegetal
- Color e.g. cloudy bright green liquor
- Brewing guide e.g. 2.g in 250ml water at 70°C for 1 minute. May be brewed at least 3 times.