Organic Shizuoka Ceremonial Matcha – Okumidori Cultivar, Japan (40g)

Description

Last updated: April 2026

Okumidori is one of the workhorses of Japanese matcha cultivation — a cultivar known for its consistent, deep color and rich, slightly umami-forward flavor. When you source it organically from Shizuoka, where the tea industry runs deep and the mountain growing conditions produce clean, complex leaves, you end up with a ceremonial grade matcha that's both reliable and genuinely interesting. This is the kind of matcha that holds up to daily brewing without ever feeling boring.

• Key Takeaway: Okumidori is a shade-grown Japanese cultivar prized for deep color, structural complexity, and reliable ceremonial-grade quality — well-suited to both straight preparation and matcha lattes.
• Key Takeaway: This product is organically certified under Japan's JAS standard, sourced from Shizuoka Prefecture — Japan's largest tea-producing region, accounting for approximately 40% of total national output (Japan Tea Central Association, 2024).
• Key Takeaway: Matcha is stone-milled from tencha leaves shaded 3–4 weeks before harvest to maximize chlorophyll and theanine content; shading produces 2–3x more theanine than unshaded cultivation (Ashihara, 2015, Natural Product Communications).
• Key Takeaway: Organic JAS certification requires a minimum three-year chemical-free transition period plus mandatory annual third-party audits — a stricter standard than many other organic certifications.
• Key Takeaway: Japan's tea landscape extends well beyond Okumidori: the Yabukita cultivar alone covers ~77% of all Japanese tea cultivation area, while newer cultivars like Gokou and Sunrouge are expanding the premium and functional segments.

Product Details

• Origin: Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
• Cultivar: Okumidori
• Grade: Ceremonial (Note: “Ceremonial Grade” is an industry marketing term and is not a regulated standard recognized by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries — MAFF.)
• Certification: Organic (JAS)
• Net Weight: 40 grams

Why Choose This Matcha

Shizuoka produces more tea than any other prefecture in Japan — approximately 40% of the nation's total output according to the Japan Tea Central Association (2024) — which means the farmers there have refined their craft over generations. Okumidori is shade-grown like all ceremonial grade matcha, but it's especially prized for the depth it brings — it's not the sweetest cultivar, but it has a structural complexity that makes it satisfying in a way sweeter varieties sometimes aren't. The organic certification confirms no synthetic inputs in the growing process, which you can often taste in the cleaner finish.

Okumidori is one of the top matcha cultivars in Japan, alongside Saemidori and Tsuyuhikari (registered in 2003), all recognized by growers and producers for delivering premium color, flavor depth, and reliable yields under shade cultivation.

How to Use

Sift 2–3 grams into a warmed chawan and add 70–80ml of water at 70–75°C (160–165°F). Whisk briskly until a fine, consistent foam forms across the surface. This temperature range is optimal for balancing flavor compounds and minimizing astringency in green tea (Komes et al., 2010, Food Research International). Okumidori's slightly bold flavor profile also works well in matcha lattes — use this as a base where you want the tea to stand up against milk. Store sealed and refrigerated after opening, use within 6 weeks.

Best for: Daily matcha drinkers who want organic without sacrificing flavor, cultivar explorers building tasting knowledge, and matcha latte makers who want a ceremonial grade base that doesn't disappear in milk.

What Are the Main Types of Japanese Tea?

Japanese tea is broadly categorized by its cultivation method (shaded vs. unshaded), its processing style (steamed, rolled, roasted, or milled), and the specific leaf material used — with sencha, gyokuro, tencha, and matcha representing the core spectrum from everyday to ceremonial. Understanding these distinctions helps clarify where Okumidori matcha fits within Japan's broader tea landscape.

Sencha and Gyokuro

Sencha (煎茶) is Japan's most widely consumed green tea, cultivated in full sun without shading. It remains the most popular green tea consumed in Japan, accounting for approximately 78 percent of the nation's total tea production. Harvested typically in spring, it undergoes a steaming process that locks in its intense green color and characteristic umami flavor.

Gyokuro (玉露), meaning “jade dew,” represents the pinnacle of Japanese leaf green tea, comprising only about 0.3 percent of domestic production. It undergoes a rigorous shading process for approximately 20 days prior to harvest, which significantly increases chlorophyll and L-theanine (an amino acid associated with the cultivar's sweetness and mellow character) levels — with shaded teas like gyokuro containing 2–3x more theanine than unshaded sencha (Ashihara, 2015, Natural Product Communications). The result is a deep green liquor and an exceptionally sweet, mellow flavor.

Tencha and Matcha

Tencha (碾茶) is the essential raw leaf material grown specifically to be milled into matcha — it is not a finished tea for brewing on its own. Like gyokuro, tencha plants are shaded for three to four weeks using specialized black tarps that block up to 95 percent of sunlight. To survive, the plants overcompensate by producing massive amounts of chlorophyll and amino acids, turning the leaves an electric, neon green. Unlike other Japanese teas, tencha is steamed and dried but never rolled, keeping the leaf flat so the stems and veins can be easily stripped away before milling. Japan's modern tencha production is heavily localized. Kagoshima Prefecture currently leads the nation in tencha output, utilizing its expansive flat fields and mineral-rich volcanic ash soil. Additionally, Nishio City in Aichi Prefecture dedicates over 95 percent of its tea fields exclusively to matcha leaves, single-handedly accounting for roughly 20 percent of all domestic matcha production.

Matcha (抹茶) is the final, finely milled powder produced from high-grade tencha. True ceremonial matcha is processed using traditional granite stone mills, which grind the leaves slowly — yielding only 30 to 40 grams per hour. This precise milling achieves a microscopic particle size of 5 to 10 microns. This ultra-fine grind allows the powder to suspend perfectly in water rather than dissolve, creating a rich, velvety mouthfeel characterized by a savory umami broth and natural sweetness.

What Is the ‘Yabukita' Cultivar and Why Does It Dominate Japanese Tea Farming?

‘Yabukita' is Japan's most dominant tea cultivar, covering approximately 77 percent of the country's total tea cultivation area — a dominance unmatched by any other cultivar in Japanese agriculture. It was selected by Hikosaburo Sugiyama, a grower in Abe County, Shizuoka, in 1908. It has been incredibly popular and widely adaptable throughout Japan because it delivers high yields and exceptional brew quality. ‘Yabukita' is prized for its elegant aroma and strong umami taste. Its major disadvantages are its susceptibility to fungal diseases, specifically anthracnose and gray blight.

Currently, ‘Yabukita' is cultivated on approximately 90,400 acres, representing roughly 77 percent of the total tea cultivation area in Japan. The major ‘Yabukita' production regions and their respective percentages of dominance by this cultivar include Shizuoka (93%), Mie (84%), Fukuoka (77%), Saitama (72%), and Kyoto (62%).

Kagoshima Prefecture presents a unique agricultural landscape. As Japan's second-largest tea-growing region, Kagoshima has diversified its cultivar portfolio far beyond ‘Yabukita' to support extensive multiple-harvest systems. Benefiting from a warm, subtropical climate, efficient flat-field harvesting layouts, and mineral-rich volcanic ash soil, Kagoshima leverages this regional advantage to lead the nation in producing tencha (the precursor to matcha), utilizing high-yielding and specialized cultivars rather than relying entirely on a ‘Yabukita' monoculture.

How Is Organic JAS Certification Achieved for Japanese Tea?

Organic JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standards) certification is achieved through a rigorous, multi-year process that requires farms to eliminate all synthetic chemical inputs and pass comprehensive annual third-party audits — making it one of the stricter organic standards globally. The global demand for organically grown Japanese green tea has surged, particularly for premium export markets. Regions like Haruno-cho in Shizuoka have emerged as leading “organic tea villages,” successfully cultivating prized organic cultivars such as Okumidori and Tsuyuhikari (registered in 2003).

To successfully transition a tea farm to Organic JAS certification, growers must adhere to the following strict operational guidelines:

• Three-Year Chemical Ban: Farms must provide documented, verifiable evidence that absolutely no chemical fertilizers or synthetic pesticides have been applied to the soil or plants for a minimum of three years prior to certification.
• Prevention of Airborne Contamination: Growers are required to implement physical barriers and buffer zones to guarantee that the organic fields are completely protected from any airborne pesticide drift originating from neighboring conventional farms.
• Exclusive Processing Facilities: The farm's factory must strictly manage and maintain production records, utilizing processing lines and storage environments designed exclusively for organically grown tea to prevent cross-contamination.
• Pest Management by Hand: Without synthetic chemicals, summer pest infestations must be managed mechanically. Farmers actively prune and cut away infested shoots so the tea bush can recover and produce healthy sprouts the following season.
• Mandatory Annual Audits: To maintain active certification status, the farm and its processing facilities must undergo and pass a comprehensive yearly inspection conducted by an accredited third-party agency.

What Are Japan's Newly Registered and Highly Prized Tea Cultivars?

Japan's most notable newly registered cultivars include ‘Gokou,' reserved for top-tier ceremonial matcha and gyokuro, and ‘Sunrouge,' a modern cultivar bred for its distinctive chemical profile — reflecting the industry's shift beyond the near-total dominance of Yabukita toward more specialized, market-driven cultivation. As the Japanese tea industry continues to evolve, growers are expanding beyond legacy plants to meet specific market demands, from hyper-premium ceremonial use to specialized functional profiles.

‘Gokou' (Best for: top-tier ceremonial matcha and premium gyokuro)

‘Gokou' is a highly sought-after, premium tea cultivar cultivated primarily for the production of top-tier gyokuro and ceremonial matcha. It is celebrated for its incredibly smooth profile and an almost complete absence of astringent or bitter notes. The defining characteristic of ‘Gokou' is its intense, natural sweetness paired with a deeply alluring aroma that features distinct notes of rich cocoa and sweet, creamy milk. When shaded and processed into matcha, it produces a deep, vivid green powder that yields a flawlessly smooth, umami-dense liquor. Due to the precise care required to cultivate it, ‘Gokou' represents the pinnacle of artisanal tea farming and is reserved strictly for high-end ceremonial drinking.

‘Sunrouge' (Best for: cultivar diversity research and Japan's functional tea sector)

Registered in 2011, ‘Sunrouge' represents a major modern development in functional Japanese tea cultivars. Unlike traditional green varieties focused purely on the sensory experience, ‘Sunrouge' was bred specifically for its unique chemical profile, containing highly specialized active metabolites that set it apart from conventional green tea cultivars. It is a notable cultivar in Japan's health and wellness research sector, merging Japan's rich tea cultivation heritage with cutting-edge functional agriculture. As with all food-based research, individual results vary and this product does not constitute medical advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Okumidori different from other matcha cultivars?

Okumidori is valued for its structural complexity and consistently deep green color rather than outright sweetness. Compared to sweeter cultivars like Saemidori or Gokou, Okumidori has a slightly bolder, umami-forward profile with less fragility in the cup — making it particularly well-suited to daily ceremonial preparation and use in matcha lattes where flavor needs to hold up against milk.

What does Organic JAS certification actually mean?

Organic JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standards) certification is a government-regulated standard administered by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). It requires farms to demonstrate a minimum three-year history of zero synthetic pesticide or fertilizer use, implement contamination-prevention buffers, use exclusively organic processing lines, and pass annual third-party inspections. It is distinct from, and generally stricter than, informal “natural farming” claims.

What is the difference between tencha and matcha?

Tencha is the shaded, dried, and de-stemmed whole leaf from which matcha is made — it is the raw material, not a finished beverage. Matcha is what results when high-grade tencha is slowly ground into a fine powder (5–10 microns) using traditional granite stone mills at a rate of only 30–40 grams per hour. You cannot simply brew tencha as a tea; its flavor and texture only fully emerge through the milling process.

Why does Shizuoka dominate Japanese tea production?

Shizuoka's dominance — approximately 40% of Japan's total tea output (Japan Tea Central Association, 2024) — comes from a combination of geographic and historical factors: its mountainous terrain creates natural temperature gradients ideal for slow, flavorful leaf development; its long cultivation history has produced deep agricultural expertise; and its Yabukita cultivar adoption rate (93%) reflects the prefecture's focus on consistent, high-quality production. The region's organic tea sector, centered in areas like Haruno-cho, has additionally become a significant export-focused hub.

How should I brew this ceremonial matcha for the best flavor?

Sift 2–3 grams of matcha into a warmed chawan (tea bowl), then add 70–80ml of water heated to 70–75°C (160–165°F). Higher temperatures increase extraction of bitter catechins and tannins, which can overpower Okumidori's natural umami (Komes et al., 2010, Food Research International). Whisk in a brisk W or M motion until a fine, stable foam covers the surface. For a matcha latte, use the same 2–3g base, whisk into a small amount of water first to form a paste, then add steamed milk. Consume promptly after preparation.