Summer in Yame: Our 2026 Matcha Begins Its Aging Journey

Hello! Shojiro here from Yame. On July 8, the Japan Meteorological Agency officially announced the end of the rainy season, known as *Tsuyu* (梅雨).

Today, I traveled from Yame's historic old town to the mountain tea-growing areas of Jōyō Town (上陽町) and Hoshino Village (星野村) to visit several Yame tea farmers and tea merchants. One of Yame's favorite summer traditions—families and friends cooling off in the crystal-clear Hoshino River in Jōyō Town (上陽町), a beautiful mountain town in Oku-Yame. If you're a fan of Yame sencha (八女煎茶) and love camping beside crystal-clear mountain rivers, Jōyō Town (上陽町), is a destination you won't want to miss.

A Relay of Craftsmanship: From Yame Tea Farmers to Tencha Masters, Finishing Artisans, and Tea Aging Specialists

Before the rainy season ended, tea farmers, tea merchants, and tea masters across Yame were racing against the clock to complete the final processing of this year's *Tencha*—the tea leaves that will eventually become matcha. Once the weather turns hot and humid, the quality of the tea can begin to decline. The vivid green color can fade, moisture can affect the leaves, and the delicate aroma that makes great matcha so special can gradually be lost. To protect the tea, every batch of *Tencha* was carefully finished before the arrival of midsummer. In Yame, each lot is treated individually according to both the cultivar and the specific tea field where it was grown. Working alongside experienced tea specialists, we carefully monitored the final roasting process (*Hi-ire*, 火入れ), making subtle adjustments for every single batch. This is one of the most important steps in matcha production, preserving the freshness of the tea while developing Yame matcha's signature sweet, nutty, cacao-like aroma.

Fortunately, we completed the final finishing work on July 6. Just two days later, on July 8, the Japan Meteorological Agency officially announced the end of the rainy season, and summer truly arrived in Yame. Immediately after the final processing, all of the *Tencha* was returned to refrigerated storage to begin its long aging journey. This year, the rainy season ended around ten days earlier than usual. Finishing every batch before the intense summer heat arrived was incredibly fortunate—almost a miracle. Thanks to that narrow window, our 2026 Yame matcha can now mature under ideal conditions, preserving the vibrant color, fresh aroma, and rich flavor that we hope you'll enjoy later this year.

The tea leaves have been harvested, processed in traditional brick Tencha kilns, rested briefly in the tea storehouse, carefully refined to remove veins and stems, and given their final high-heat roast process in this Yame factory.

Thank you for carefully evaluating each small batch of Tencha (碾茶, the leaf material used to make matcha) and skillfully blending them through Gōgumi (合組). Even when the tea comes from the same fields in Yame and the same cultivar, each batch develops its own subtle character. Each batch reflects the experience, intuition, and craftsmanship of the tea farmers, together with the careful judgment of the artisans operating the traditional brick Tencha kilns (煉瓦碾茶炉).

This is Our Yame Hoshino Okumidori (おくみどり) Tencha (碾茶), grown at approximately 1,300 feet (400 meters) above sea level in Hoshino Village (星野村), Yame (八女). This final roasting process, known as *Hi-ire* (火入れ), lasts only a few dozen seconds. However, it plays an important role in bringing out Yame matcha’s signature nutty, cacao-like aroma.

Tencha During Summer

During the intense heat of July and August, we do not bring our Tencha out into the open air. Instead, the leaves remain in a refrigerated tea warehouse, where they continue to mature slowly under carefully controlled conditions of around 5°C (41°F) and less than 40% relative humidity. This environment allows the tea to age naturally without damaging its delicate aroma or color. As the months pass, the fragrance becomes deeper, the green color grows richer, and the umami develops greater sweetness, body, and complexity. After the outside temperature falls below approximately 25°C (77°F), we begin the final step of carefully grinding the matured Tencha into matcha. We believe patience is one of the most important ingredients in exceptional matcha. We look forward to sharing the finished matcha with you and hope you'll enjoy its full aroma, depth, and flavor.

Our Matcha Will Continue Aging

Our main 2026 Yame Tencha will continue aging throughout the summer. Once the weather cools, we will begin stone-grinding the matured Tencha into Yame matcha with its vibrant green color, rich amino-acid umami, and signature notes of toasted nori, roasted nuts, and dark chocolate. Every bag we release reflects the quiet work of spring, the patience of summer, and the craftsmanship of Yame. Thank you for reading. Every harvest tells a different story. We'll be sharing more from behind the scenes here in Yame throughout the season. Shojiro from Yame