Stone-milled Japanese matcha, freshly whisked in a black tea bowl with a bamboo chasen, on dark wood — Nagamine Seicha, Yaizu, Shizuoka
Coming 2026 · Premium Matcha Selections

Five named-producer matcha selections,
one tea region. 抹茶ラインナップ　2026年産　予約受付中

Reserve now
for priority allocation

Matcha is a tea type, not just a grade.

It is defined by how the leaf is grown and made — not by a marketing tier. Each 2026 lot is selected for origin, producer, aroma, color, texture, and intended use, from usucha to premium café programs.

Our definition of matcha

At Nagamine Seicha, we label a tea as matcha only when it meets all three of the following criteria — based on the tencha and matcha definitions of the Japan Tea Central Public Interest Incorporated Association (Nihon Cha-gyo Chuokai) and ISO TR 21380:2022.

  1. I Covered cultivation — tencha grown under shade for two to three weeks (oishita saibai).
  2. II Tencha kiln drying — steamed and dried without rolling in a dedicated tencha furnace.
  3. III Fine milling — stone mill or ball mill into powder.

Only tea made from 100% tencha meeting these criteria is called matcha.

We do not call powdered sencha, unshaded green tea powder, or moga-cha “matcha.” Moga-cha is a tencha-like dried tea made on modified sencha lines — it has value as a powdered green tea ingredient, but it is not matcha under our naming standard.

Certificate of Analysis (U.S. MRLs) is provided on request, per lot. Minimum order 1 kg per lot. The 2026 crop is held as tencha in chilled storage and milled to order through the year.

Brick-Kiln Tencha

Okabe Yabukita

やぶきた他（岡部産）
Okabe, Shizuoka
Confirmed for 2026 Brick-Kiln Tencha Ships from June 2026 · Certificate of Analysis on request
USD 130/kg · FOB Yaizu

From the hillsides of Okabe — a region known for its refined, elegant tencha. What sets this selection apart is the use of traditional brick-kiln drying, which imparts a distinctive depth of aroma and a clean, structured umami. .

OriginOkabe (brick-kiln tencha)
CultivarYabukita-based blend
HarvestLate May, first flush
ShadingCovered cultivation
GrindingBall mill
Pesticide Certificate of Analysis (U.S. MRLs) provided on request, per lot.
PositioningTraditional brick-kiln drying delivers distinctive aroma.
Single Cultivar

Saeakari

さえあかり（菅山園）
Sugayama-en · Makinohara, Shizuoka
Confirmed for 2026 Ships from June 2026 · Allocations open
USD 140/kg · FOB Yaizu

From Sugayama-en on the Makinohara plateau — one of Japan’s largest and most respected tea regions. Saeakari is a single-cultivar matcha prized for its bright character and clear, lifted finish, well suited to usucha preparation, latte programs, and the broader café bar. A confirmed selection for the 2026 vintage, with allocation flexibility for first-time partners.

ProducerSugayama-en
CultivarSaeakari (single)
HarvestMid-May, first flush
ShadingCovered cultivation
GrindingBall mill
PesticideCertificate of Analysis (U.S. MRLs) provided on request, per lot
PositioningSingle-cultivar matcha at workable scale — usucha, latte, and café programs.
Single Cultivar

Saemidori

さえみどり（丸尾製茶）
Maruo Seicha · Fukuroi, Shizuoka
Platinum Award Producer Planned for 2026 Ships from June 2026 · Allocation by reservation
USD 150/kg · FOB Yaizu

From Maruo Seicha — a two-time Platinum Award winner at the Japan Tea Awards (sencha category). Saemidori is a distinctive cultivar prized for its gentle sweetness, vivid green colour, and silky mouthfeel. The combination of a single estate, a single cultivar, and a celebrated producer makes this a rare and compelling offering for specialty tea merchants. Reservation-based allocation for the 2026 vintage.

ProducerMaruo Seicha
CultivarSaemidori (single)
HarvestMid-May, first flush
ShadingCovered cultivation
GrindingBall mill
PesticideCertificate of Analysis (U.S. MRLs) provided on request, per lot
PositioningAward-winning producer credentials support upper-mid tier positioning.
Flagship · Rare Cultivar

Tsuyuhikari

つゆひかり（菅山園）
Sugayama-en · Makinohara, Shizuoka
Confirmed for 2026 Ships from June 2026 · Flagship selection · allocated by order date
USD 150 / kg

The pinnacle of our 2026 lineup. Tsuyuhikari is a rare cultivar — produced in Japan in only modest volumes — offering a deep, concentrated umami and an exceptionally vivid color. From Sugayama-en on the Makinohara plateau, with the cultivation depth and consistency only a leading single estate of this scale can provide. Suited to the most discerning specialty cafés and premium tea experiences. Allocations confirmed by order date.

ProducerSugayama-en
CultivarTsuyuhikari (single)
HarvestMid-May, first flush
ShadingCovered cultivation
GrindingBall mill
PesticideCertificate of Analysis (U.S. MRLs) provided on request, per lot
PositioningThe flagship selection — deep umami, vivid color, rare cultivar at single-estate scale.
Award-Winning Producer

Ikeda-en Yabukita

やぶきた（池田園）
Ikeda-en · Shizuoka
Confirmed for 2026 Ships from June 2026 · Certificate of Analysis on request
USD 120 / kg

From Ikeda-en — a dedicated single producer and Triple Platinum winner at the Japanese Tea Award (twice in the deep-steamed tea category, once in the second-flush category). This Yabukita matcha reflects that pedigree: a strong, full umami and a rounded, generous body. A producer-led selection for buyers who value a documented record of excellence.

ProducerIkeda-en — Triple Platinum, Japanese Tea Award
CultivarYabukita
HarvestFirst flush
ShadingCovered cultivation
GrindingBall mill
PesticideCertificate of Analysis (U.S. MRLs) provided on request, per lot
PositioningAward-winning single producer; strong umami, generous body.
— A tea merchant, not just a brand

Why a Shizuoka tea merchant.

Nagamine Seicha was founded in 1876 in Yaizu, Shizuoka — not as a brand, but as a chasho (tea merchant). For five generations, our work has been sourcing and supplying tea to buyers who value consistency and provenance.

01 Sourcing

Named producers, not anonymous lots.

Every selection is traceable to a named Shizuoka producer — Sugayama-en on the Makinohara plateau, Maruo Seicha in Fukuroi, Ikeda-en, and the Okabe brick-kiln producers. Not a single estate, but a working portfolio, selected each season. You know exactly whose tea you are buying.

02 Supply

From 1 kg samples to lot-based supply.

We supply by the lot, starting from a 1 kg sample. For B2B buyers, this means you can evaluate a specific lot before committing, with continuity across crop years where available.

— Tea taxonomy, plainly stated

What makes matcha “matcha”?

Matcha vs Powdered Green Tea — Nagamine Seicha's Three Criteria A diagram defining what qualifies as matcha at Nagamine Seicha, based on three criteria: shaded cultivation, tencha-kiln drying without rolling, and fine milling by stone or ball mill. Anchored to ISO TR 21380:2022 and the Japan Tea Central Public Interest Incorporated Association standard. — Nagamine Seicha's three criteria — What makes matcha, matcha. From the same plant — Camellia sinensis — two roads diverge. CRITERION 01 · CULTIVATION Shaded for two to three weeks. 覆い下栽培（2〜3週間） → MATCHA Tea plants are covered with yoshizu, komo, or cheesecloth for 2–3 weeks before harvest. Boosts L-theanine, deepens green. → POWDERED GREEN TEA (uncovered) Grown in open field — full sunlight. Lower L-theanine, higher catechins, less vivid green. CRITERION 02 · DRYING Steamed, never rolled — dried in a tencha kiln. 蒸熱後、揉まずに碾茶炉で製造された碾茶 → MATCHA (tencha as the raw material) Steamed briefly, then dried flat in a tencha furnace. Veins removed. Yields tencha — the matcha raw material. → POWDERED GREEN TEA (rolled / モガ製) Steamed, then rolled (the sencha route), or kiln-dried without meeting the shaded-cultivation criterion above. CRITERION 03 · MILLING Stone-milled or ball-milled to a fine powder. 茶臼またはボールミルで微粉末化 → MATCHA Granite stone mill (ishi-usu) — traditional, slow, cool. Or ball mill for volume runs. Both yield 5–20μm powder. → POWDERED GREEN TEA (pulverizer / others) Pulverizer or industrial grinder — coarser, faster. For café, RTD, pastry, and culinary applications.
If all three are met

Matcha — our five 2026 selections

Ikeda-en Yabukita, Saeakari, Saemidori, Okabe Yabukita, Tsuyuhikari. All first-flush, all shaded, all tencha-kiln, all stone- or ball-milled. This is what we call matcha.

If even one is not met

Powdered green tea — honestly labeled

Our Fukuroi Autumn Tencha Powder follows part of the matcha-processing route — tencha-kiln dried and finely milled. But the leaves are uncovered, autumn-flush. Without covered cultivation, we do not call it matcha.

Nagamine Seicha conducts joint research with NARO — the institution that drafted the international matcha standard.

Powdered green tea for foodservice is a separate product, listed under Ingredients — not under matcha.

iii.

Common specifications & terms

Product

Raw materialCovered-cultivation tencha; 2026 lineup focuses on first-flush lots
GrindingStone mill or ball mill — milled from tencha held in chilled storage
PesticideCertificate of Analysis (U.S. MRLs) provided on request, per lot (all lots)
Okabe Yabukita lot available on request
Certificate of AnalysisAvailable on request
PackagingNitrogen-flushed aluminum bags
Minimum order1 kg per lot

Commercial

PricingOn inquiry — quoted per relationship and lot
Currency & termsUSD, FOB Yaizu (CIF Bangkok / HK available on request)
PaymentT/T advance or L/C at sight
ShippingAir freight recommended
Lead timeTypically 2–4 weeks from order confirmation
Sample policyAvailable for qualified buyers, please inquire
Request Tasting Flight → Wholesale Inquiry
Try the Matcha Lineup

Five matcha selections, twenty grams each.

The Matcha 2026 Tasting Flight ships worldwide for USD 130 — the complete first-flush lineup, evaluation depth.

Request a Tasting Kit →