House blend · Shizuoka × Kagoshima
Three centuries of tea, stone‑milled for your menu.
Ceremonial-grade matcha, stone-milled to order by a Shizuoka tea house working since the 1720s.
The Shizuoka fields
Where river mist becomes flavor
Morning river mist shades the bushes naturally. The result: sweet, smooth, no harsh bitterness.
More
The fields sit in a river valley shaped by two mountain rivers. The soil is loose, mineral and gravelly, so the bushes push their roots deep and concentrate flavor. Each morning a natural river mist settles over the fields like a living shade cloth. It slows the conversion of theanine, the source of umami, into tannin, the source of bitterness, which gives a mellow sweetness and a clean finish.
How it is made
Tencha, untouched. Stone-milled, unhurried.
Harvest
Shaded first-harvest leaf
Steamed within two hours of picking.
More
Leaves reach the steamer within two hours of picking, which locks in the green and stops oxidation before it starts.
Tencha
Never rolled
Left whole until the moment it is milled.
More
Unlike sencha, tencha is left unrolled so the leaf structure stays intact until the moment it is milled.
Milling
Milled to order
Stone-ground only when your order comes in.
More
The tencha is held in reserve and milled for each order, on water-cooled stone mills. Slow, low-temperature grinding protects color and aroma from heat. Trained panels grade every batch on color, aroma and mouthfeel before release.
The grades
Five grades, one standard
S, A, B: ceremonial. C: café. D: kitchen.
Click any photo to see it full size.
| Grade | Profile | Best for | L-theanine |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Finest first harvest. Mellow mouthfeel, elegant young-leaf aroma, vivid deep green. | Ceremonial grade: tea service, koicha and usucha | 36 mg/g |
| A | Exceptional umami-to-color balance, minimal bitterness, delicate and elegant. | Ceremonial grade: tea service, premium retail | 30 mg/g |
| B | The best balance of quality and cost. Smooth taste, pleasant fragrance. | Ceremonial grade: specialty cafés, premium drinks | 24 mg/g |
| C | Milder umami, approachable taste, authentic character. | Café grade: matcha lattes, desserts | 18 mg/g |
| D | Stronger tea profile, built for blending in manufacturing. | Confectionery, bakery, ready-to-drink | 12 mg/g |
House blend: milled to order, up to 300 kg each of grades S to C a month. Minimum 25 kg per grade. Two-year shelf life.
More
Every grade shares the same origin, agronomy and food-safety standard; they differ only in harvest timing and refinement. L-theanine rises with shading time (up to 30 days) and gives the smooth, savory umami of premium matcha. Store cool and dark, and use promptly once opened. Grades S and A are packed in 25 kg bulk or vacuum-sealed, nitrogen-flushed packs. Pricing is quoted by grade and monthly volume. Grade D is available in the 100% Shizuoka line.
Quality and compliance
Ready for the strictest markets
Residue
Pesticide and chemical analysis
Tested to EU limits.
More
Analysis is calibrated to destination-market limits, including EU thresholds.
Micro
Pathogen testing on every run
Tested before every shipment.
More
Internal E. coli and pathogen testing on every production run before shipment.
Traceability
Farm to factory
Every lot traceable to its district and harvest.
More
Every lot can be traced to its growing district and harvest window, and new farms are visited and tested in person before we buy from them. Optical sorting and metal detection at finishing; cold storage between harvest and shipment.
Certificates and test reports are provided with each lot on request.
Also from Umiyama
More matcha lines
100% Shizuoka: one origin, limited each month.
More
The same tea house sets aside a limited amount of 100% Shizuoka matcha each month, in grades S to D, minimum 25 kg per grade. Choose it when you want a single origin on your label.
Uji & Kagoshima lots: named cultivars, smaller orders welcome.
More
Limited lots of single-cultivar matcha (Okumidori, Yabukita, Saemidori, Yutaka Midori) from Uji, Wazuka and Kagoshima, from first-harvest ceremonial to autumn latte grades. Some can be ordered from about 10 kg. Lots change, so ask what is available now.
Yame: for blends, iced drinks and baking.
More
Yame, from our home island of Kyushu, is built for blends, iced drinks and baked goods, and anchors our retail line. Mie, Saga and Nagasaki are available on special order.
Custom blends and packaging
Blended and milled to order for your taste or price, packed under your brand.
More
The Shizuoka tea house can blend across its own grades, or bring in matcha from other regions, to land on a price point or a taste profile, and can pack the result under your own branding. Looking for something we don't list? Ask; odds are we can find it.