Asahi and Uji Hikari from Kyoto

Just as you might unexpectedly discover a new favourite tea, and get to know it one cup at a time, life has always been filled with unexpected encounters when we take the time to look closely. Our two newest matchas, Asahi from Kyoto and Uji Hikari from Kyoto, began exactly this way.

While we have a deep affection for every matcha in our collection, what makes each one truly special goes far beyond flavour. At the heart of every matcha is the relationship we have built with the people who cultivated it, crafted it, and brought it to life. Those human connections are, and always will be, the foundation of everything we do.

To celebrate the arrival of our two new matchas, I’d love to share the stories behind them with our community. From tea fields in Kyoto to cups enjoyed across the world, each person becomes part of our journey. We hope that by sharing these stories, you can experience not only the flavour of the matcha, but also the connections and craftsmanship that make it possible. Because, you, yes you reading this right now, are part of our story as well.

Where It All Began

Back in November 2025, David and I traveled to Kyoto to visit some of our tea producers. During the trip, we happened to stop at a small local cafe for lunch. It was tucked away in a quiet street in the town. The staff asked where David was from and what had brought us all the way to this cafe. It wasn’t an unusual conversation after all. There wasn’t another tourist or foreigner in sight. Seeing someone like David walking through the narrow countryside streets was clearly a rare sight.

When I mentioned that we run a matcha business in the US and were in Kyoto to meet tea producers, the lady I was chatting with suddenly seemed surprised and said “The man sitting at the counter is a tea farmer, and the man next to him also works in the tea industry too”.

This single conversation started everything.

We didn’t have much time that afternoon, so they invited us to come back the following day. The next day, they welcomed us into their tea gardens, we tasted their teas at the farmer’s house, and spent hours simply talking over cups to get to know each other. We still remember the flavour of the Kayaku Gohan Onigiri that Takeshi-san’s mother prepared for us. (Kayaku gohan, aka Takikomi gohan, is a traditional Japanese rice dish cooked with dashi and soy sauce, mixed with vegetables and meat etc.) A simple onigiri, but one that perfectly reflected the warmth and generosity we experienced that day.

Since then, we’ve returned to visit them a few times. Through those visits, they’ve introduced us to other tea farmers in the area, allowing us to deepen our understanding of their craft and build relationships that continue to shape our journey.

Looking back, it is remarkable that none of this was planned. It all began with an ordinary lunch stop and a casual conversation.

Among the Tea Field’s This June

When David and I visited Kyoto in June, the harvest was still in full swing, though every farmer was at a different stage. Some producers had already finished harvesting, while others were still picking fresh leaves. Others had moved on to harvesting leaves for Houjicha, from tea trees that had already been harvested earlier in the season for teas such as Sencha and Tencha.

The harvesting bag shown in the photo above is widely used by tea farmers in Kyoto today. Because much of the region is mountainous and steep, large harvesting machines that are commonly used in the flat lands simply aren’t practical. Apart from hand-picking, many farmers use the Kahan harvesting method, a method where two workers operate a portable tea harvester together, walking in unison on either side of a row of tea trees to carefully harvest the tender young shoots. Or smaller ride-on harvesting machines that can fit beneath the tana-shade (the canopy style shading method) tea gardens. Each bag holds around 15kg of fresh tea leaves. Although it can hold more, farmers won’t fill it to the brim, as the extra weight makes it difficult to carry and can damage the freshly harvested leaves. It’s a small detail, but one that reminds you just how carefully every step of the harvest is carried out.

When we visited Tomohiro-san, the farmer behind our Uji Hikari matcha, he was harvesting Tsuyuhikari cultivar that would later be processed into Houjicha. Many of the cultivars he grows are Uji cultivars including this new Uji Hikari matcha. He told us how each one expresses its own unique character. Even after all these years of growing tea, he says the differences between cultivars still surprise him.

The photo above shows the first flush of Okumidori tea leaves from Masashi-san’s tea garden, another talented and award winning tea farmer in the region. First flush leaves are incredibly soft and delicate that even a smallest scratch can cause oxidation and affect the quality significantly.

Right beside this field was his Samidori tea garden. Seeing the two cultivars growing side by side immediately revealed how different they are just by looking at them. The Samidori leaves were noticeably smaller and a lighter shade of green, while the Okumidori leaves had the deep green colour you see in the photo above. (Unfortunately, we became so absorbed in our conversation, and forgot to take a photo of the Samidori field…)

Just as Tomohiro-san had told us, every cultivar has its own personality. Each expresses a different balance of flavour, aroma, texture, and colour, making every matcha unique in its own way. While vibrant green is often seen as the hallmark of a good matcha which is partially true, we hope to introduce you to something beyond colour alone. We want to share the remarkable diversity that exists between cultivars and help each variety, origin, and producer tell a different story.

Being able to walk through the tea fields, gently touch the fresh leaves, and learn with all five senses alongside these incredible producers is a privilege we never take for granted. Those experiences continue to shape our understanding of tea, and they inspire the journey we’re building as a brand.

The Cultivar, Asahi

Now let me introduce the cultivar, Asahi. Asahi is a Japanese tea cultivar selected in Uji, Kyoto, specifically for producing tencha (the raw material of matcha). Chosen from native Uji tea plants, Asahi is regarded as one of Japan’s finest tea cultivars and has consistently earned top honours at national tea competitions.

Its young leaves are exceptionally thin and tender, and it is prized for producing matcha with a rich aroma, smooth texture, and pronounced umami.

However, Asahi is also one of the most challenging cultivars to grow. It has a very short harvesting window, and even a slight delay in picking can significantly reduce its quality. It also produces relatively low yields, making it difficult to cultivate on a larger scale. As a result, Asahi remains a rare cultivar grown primarily in Kyoto.

Our Asahi comes from a family-run tea farm in Wazuka, Kyoto. Wazuka is one of the most renowned producing areas for Uji tea, with beautiful tea fields stretching across its rolling hills. We hope you enjoy discovering Asahi’s delicate yet rich profiles, beautifully co-existing in perfect harmony.

The Cultivar, Uji Hikari

Our other new offering is Uji Hikari. Uji Hikari is a Japanese tea cultivar selected in Kyoto for producing both tencha and gyokuro, Japan’s highest-grade shaded green tea. Selected by the Kyoto Prefectural Tea Research Institute from a native Uji tea plant, Uji Hikari is valued for its exceptional quality and elegant character.

Uji Hikari is known for its distinctive aroma. When carefully shade-grown, this unique character develops into the refined seaweed-like aroma called Ooika that is highly prized in high quality matcha and gyokuro. And it beautifully captures the essence of traditional Uji tea.

It has a very short harvesting window, similar to Asahi, and timing is essential to achieve its highest quality. Although less widely planted, Uji Hikari is regarded as one of Kyoto’s finest traditional tea cultivars.

We hope you enjoy discovering Uji Hikari’s elegant sweetness and refined umami to the fullest.

More Than What We Can Put into Words

Tea reflects the people who grow it and craft it. You come to understand that only by listening to their stories, learning from them, and sharing a cup of tea together.

As a brand that has the privilege of sharing these remarkable matcha with our community around the world, we believe it’s our role to honour those stories with authenticity and respect. Everything we learn at the source is something we hope to pass on to you.

To us, matcha can never be fully described in a single sentence. It is not simply a drink or an ingredient, but a culmination of generations of craftsmanship, countless small decisions, and meaningful human connections. It may sound cliché, but it’s something we continue to be reminded of every time we visit the source.

We hope our two newest matchas, Asahi and Uji Hikari, offer you a small glimpse into this exceptional tea-growing region and the people who make it special.

As much as we hope to introduce authentic Japanese matcha to more people around the world, we hope our community will also grow with us. To stay curious, to keep learning, and to discover the remarkable producers, places, and teas behind every bowl. Because, although we may be separated by oceans, every time you prepare one of our teas, we’d like to think we’re sharing a cup together.

— Manae from Rebel Bunny