Tea Varieties by Prefecture

1. Hokkaido:

• The tea tree in Zen'en-ji Temple is considered the northernmost cultivated tea tree in Hokkaido.

2. Aomori Prefecture:

• Kuroishi Tea: Known for a long time, currently cultivated by only one household in Kuroishi Motomachi.

3. Iwate Prefecture:

• Kesensei Tea: Seeds were brought back during a pilgrimage to Ise in the 18th century, now cultivated in Rikuzentakata City and Ofunato City.

4. Miyagi Prefecture:

• Momo Tea: Has a history of being promoted for industrial advancement by the Sendai domain, mainly cultivated in Momochō, Ishinomaki City.

5. Akita Prefecture:

• Hiyama Tea: Known as the northern limit tea from ancient times, currently cultivated in Hiyama Town, Noshiro City.

6. Yamagata Prefecture:

• Shonai Produced Tea: Revived after 140 years in Haguro Town, Tsuruoka City, known as "Matsugaoka Tea."

7. Fukushima Prefecture:

• Fukushima Tea: A local specialty characterized by its traditional flavor.

8. Ibaraki Prefecture:

• Okukuji Tea: Started in the early 17th century, cultivated mainly in Daigo Town, where the cool climate and fog influence the sunlight, producing tea with unique color and aroma.

9. Tochigi Prefecture:

• Kanuma Tea: Produced in Kanuma City and Otawara City, characterized by smaller tea leaves and a refreshing taste.

10. Gunma Prefecture:

• Umeta Tea: Produced in Kiryu City and Shibukawa City, known for its astringency and aroma.

11. Saitama Prefecture:

• Sayama Tea: Known as the top tea place in Kanto, it is characterized by a traditional roasting method called "Sayama Biiire," which involves low temperature and long-duration heating, producing a unique aroma and a strong sweetness amid its astringency.

12. Chiba Prefecture:

• Sakura Tea: Initially sown by the Sakura domain samurai in Yachimata City, now predominantly consolidated in the Yachimata area.

13. Tokyo:

• Tokyo Sayama Tea: Cultivated mainly in Mizuho Town adjacent to Saitama Prefecture, sold as Sayama Tea or Tokyo Sayama Tea.

14. Kanagawa Prefecture:

• Ashigara Tea: Started in 1925 when seeds were sown in Shimizu District, Yamakita Town, now primarily produced in the Ashigara area. It is cultivated in mountainous areas suitable for quality tea production, known for its rich aroma and flavor.

15. Niigata Prefecture:

• Murakami Tea: The northern limit for tea production connects Murakami City in Niigata Prefecture with Daigo Town in Ibaraki Prefecture. The tea fields are kept low to withstand heavy snowfall.

16. Toyama Prefecture:

• Batabata Tea: A fermented tea using black tea, characterized by whisking with a special tea whisk to create foam.

17. Ishikawa Prefecture:

• Kaga Boucha: Select roasted stems of high-quality sencha produced mainly on the Noto Peninsula, including Wajima Tea.

18. Fukui Prefecture:

• Echizen Tea: Produced on a small scale but has a long history, cultivated in Echizen City and Obama City.

19. Yamanashi Prefecture:

• Nanbu Tea: Cultivated at the foot of the Southern Alps, known for its soft taste yet rich body and aromatic flavor.

20. Nagano Prefecture:

• Shinshu Tea: Cultivated in the rich natural environment of Nagano Prefecture, known for its refreshing taste.

21. Gifu Prefecture:

• Mino Tea: Started in the late 8th century when the great priest Taicho Daishi brought seeds from Kyoto during the founding of Hakusan Shrine, encouraged in the Shirakawa area, cultivated in the cool mountainous regions such as Higashi Shirakawa Village, known for its high aroma and taste.

22. Shizuoka Prefecture:

• Shizuoka Tea: The largest base for the Japanese tea industry, with diverse types of tea produced in regions such as Shizuoka City, Kakegawa City, and Kawanehon Town. Especially, the deep-steamed Sencha is a Shizuoka-originated tea.

23. Aichi Prefecture:

• Nishio Matcha: Centered in Nishio City within the Nishi Mikawa region, high-quality matcha is produced using traditional methods.

24. Mie Prefecture:

• Ise Tea: Said to have been cultivated at Ichijo-ji Temple in Mizusawa Town in the 10th century, expanded in the first half of the 19th century by the abbot Nakagawa Kyoan of Jogan-ji Temple. It was the first region to develop and popularize frost protection fans.

25. Shiga Prefecture:

• Omi Tea: Started when Saichō, the founder of Enryaku-ji Temple, brought seeds from China and planted them near Hiyoshi Taisha. Concentrated in the southeastern part of the prefecture, like Koka City, known for its aroma and rich flavor.

26. Kyoto Prefecture:

• Uji Tea: Started in the Kamakura period when the monk Myoe received seeds from Eisai Zenji and sowed them in Uji, developing unique production techniques through its long history. Uji Tea is a famous Japanese tea brand established in the climate and unique techniques of the Kizu River basin.

27. Osaka Prefecture:

• Sennan Tea: Cultivated in the Sennan area of southern Osaka, mainly green tea but also various processed teas are produced.

28. Hyogo Prefecture:

• Tamba Tea: With an old history attributed to Zen priest Eisai who brought tea from China, it features several production brands.

29. Nara Prefecture:

• Yamato Tea: Originated from tea seeds brought back by Kukai (Kobo Daishi) in 806, first sown by the founder Kenne Daishi at Buddha Ryuji Temple in Uda City's Haibara Ward.

30. Wakayama Prefecture:

• Kishu Tea: Produced in the warm river valleys of southern Wakayama, known for its high-quality tea.

31. Tottori Prefecture:

• Tottori Tea: Locally produced sencha and bancha are the main types, with sun-dried tea also well-known.

32. Shimane Prefecture:

• Shimane Tea: Spread by the lord of Matsue Domain, Matsudaira Fumai, known as the top tea producing area in the Chugoku region, including Hakata Tea and Izumo Tea, Izumo matcha.

33. Okayama Prefecture:

• Okayama Tea: Initiated in 1730 for regional industrial promotion in Kaida Village, produced in the Bitchu area.

34. Hiroshima Prefecture:

• Hiroshima Tea: Centered in Sera Town, it features a type of fermented tea made by boiling and drying the tea leaves.

35. Yamaguchi Prefecture:

• Yamaguchi Tea: Widely cultivated across the prefecture led by the lord of the Choshu Domain during the Meiji era, known nationally as Bōchō Tea.

36. Tokushima Prefecture:

• Awa Tea: Cultivated in the cool steep mountainous areas, known for its rich taste and aroma, including Ayakashi Tea.

37. Kagawa Prefecture:

• Kagawa Tea: Originated by the lord of Takamatsu Domain, Matsudaira Yorishige, who established tea gardens in Ritsurin Park for tea gatherings.

38. Ehime Prefecture:

• Ehime Tea: The production areas are scattered in the mountainous areas of the Shikoku Mountains, known for producing high-quality tea.

39. Kochi Prefecture :

• Tosa Tea: The main production area is in the mountainous regions along the Niyodo River, with a significant temperature difference between day and night, renowned for its quality.

40. Fukuoka Prefecture:

• Yame Tea: One of Japan's representative high-grade green teas, primarily produced in Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture.

41. Saga Prefecture:

• Saga Tea: Produced in Saga Prefecture, especially known for its high-quality sencha.

42. Nagasaki Prefecture:

• Nagasaki Tea: Mainly produced in the Shimabara Peninsula, it has an ancient history and is known for its unique production methods.

43. Kumamoto Prefecture:

• Kumamoto Tea: Known especially for the Yatsushiro region, green tea is the main type produced in Kumamoto Prefecture.

44. Oita Prefecture:

• Yufuin Tea: Produced in Yufu City, Oita Prefecture, the rich natural environment of Yufuin nurtures a deep flavor.

45. Miyazaki Prefecture:

• Miyazaki Tea: Produced in Miyazaki Prefecture, particularly noted for pairing well with Hyuganatsu citrus.

46. Kagoshima Prefecture:

• Kagoshima Tea: Kagoshima is one of the main tea-producing areas in Japan, especially famous for its deep-steamed sencha.

47. Okinawa Prefecture:

• Ryukyu Tea: Green tea cultivation is also practiced in Okinawa, producing unique teas suited to the local climate.