Product Information

Guricha Premium First Flush Series

Guricha no Sugiyama – Premium First Flush Series

A celebration of Japan’s spring harvest.
The Premium First Flush Series by Guricha no Sugiyama is crafted from the finest early-picked tea leaves, carefully selected from the lush tea regions of Shizuoka, Kagoshima, and Miyazaki.
Each leaf reflects the essence of its origin — harmoniously blended through a delicate balance of kabuse (covered) and open-field cultivation.
Through Sugiyama’s signature deep-steaming method, the tea attains a brilliant jade-green color, a refined aroma, and an elegant taste that lingers with gentle sweetness and mellow umami.
Smooth on the palate and pure in aftertaste, it offers a serene moment that captures the spirit of Japanese craftsmanship and nature’s quiet grace.

The Lineup – Hekiho, Hekisui, and Hekiko

The Premium First Flush series features three distinct expressions of Guricha:
each crafted to highlight a different facet of flavor, aroma, and balance.

Hekiho（碧豊）：The pinnacle of the series.　Rich, full-bodied, and deeply flavorful, offering a luxurious umami that lingers with elegant depth.
Hekisui（碧水）：Light, smooth, and approachable.　A well-balanced tea ideal for daily enjoyment, with a gentle sweetness and refreshing clarity.
Hekiko（碧香）：Fragrant and refined.　A refreshing, aromatic tea that emphasizes brightness and aroma — available exclusively in loose-leaf form.

In addition to the traditional leaf teas, Hekiho and Hekisui are also available in convenient pyramid tea bag styles,
Guricha with ease, anytime.
 

Tea Varieties

Yabukita – Shizuoka & Miyazaki

• Japan’s most celebrated tea cultivar, cherished for its balance and depth.
  In Shizuoka, a blend of open-field and kabuse (covered) cultivation brings out a rich body, toasty aroma, and a clean, refined finish.
  From Miyazaki, kabuse-grown Yabukita offers a gentle sweetness and smooth mouthfeel, with its characteristic bitterness beautifully softened by the shade.

Yutaka Midori – Kagoshima

• An early-harvest cultivar native to Kagoshima, known for its vivid, deep-green liquor and full aroma.
  Shade-grown to enhance umami and roundness, Yutaka Midori delivers a bold yet mellow richness, embodying the vitality of southern Japan’s tea fields.

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The History of Tamaryokucha and the Journey of “Guricha no Sugiyama”

From Export Tea to Japan’s Mild-Tasting “Guricha” — The Art of Deep-Steamed Blending Perfected by Sugiyama

Guricha is a distinctive Japanese green tea, easily recognized by its curled leaf shape and mellow flavor. Its roots date back to the late Taishō and early Shōwa eras (1920s–1930s), during the golden age of Japanese tea exports.
Guricha no Sugiyama, we start with this traditional steamed tamaryokucha, then create our own unique blends from carefully selected tea leaves sourced from regions across Japan. By combining kabuse (covered) and open-field cultivation teas, and refining them with the deep-steaming method, we achieve a one-of-a-kind flavor profile found nowhere else.
 

1. Tamaryokucha Born as an Export Tea (1920s–)

The birth of steamed tamaryokucha was the result of both international trade conditions and domestic challenges in the Japanese tea industry.
In Russian Central Asia—the key export market at the time—Chinese pan-fired green tea dominated. To expand Japanese tea sales, producers needed a tea that matched local preferences in both shape and flavor. Market research revealed a demand for well-rolled green tea with a shape and taste similar to Chinese imports.
Since pan-firing had been banned in Shizuoka in 1893 to eliminate fraudulent or poor-quality tea, local producers instead developed a new tea that mimicked the appearance of pan-fired tea but was finished with Japanese steaming techniques. By skipping the final rolling process, the leaves retained a curved, bead-like shape (guri-guri), producing a milder, less astringent flavor.
This “Guricha” was quickly embraced by the Russian market and later expanded into North Africa, the Middle East, and North America—regions where Chinese green tea had traditionally dominated.
 

2. Transition to the Domestic Market (1960s–)

After WWII, tamaryokucha again enjoyed a golden export period, peaking in the early 1950s with North Africa as its largest market. In 1952, Japan exported around 10,000 tons of tea, with tamaryokucha accounting for two-thirds of the total.
However, from the 1960s onward, domestic demand surged due to Japan’s rapid economic growth, while overseas markets shifted with changing tastes, increased local production, and intensified price competition.
During this time, the fukamushi (deep-steaming) method became more common. This process steams the leaves longer than usual, producing a darker infusion, reduced astringency, and a mellow taste—qualities that appealed to domestic consumers, particularly in Shizuoka and the Kanto region. As a result, tamaryokucha transformed from an export-focused tea into a domestic specialty, leading to regional branding in Izu and Kyushu and its development as a popular souvenir tea.
 

3. Founding of “Guricha no Sugiyama” (1960)

In 1960, Sugiyama Tea Factory was established in Ito City, Izu. At the time, Ito Onsen was one of Japan’s most famous tourist destinations, attracting visitors from across the country.
To differentiate from other Shizuoka teas, Sugiyama adopted export-born “Guricha” as its flagship product. With its mellow flavor and rounded leaves, Guricha quickly became a popular souvenir for tourists visiting Izu.
 

4. Sugiyama’s Unique Blending Culture

Unlike producers who grow their own tea, Guricha no Sugiyama sources high-quality Guricha from Shizuoka, Kagoshima, and Miyazaki. Using a variety of cultivars—such as Yabukita, Saemidori, and Yutakamidori—grown under both covered (kabuse) and open-field conditions, we apply the deep-steaming method and blend them based on decades of experience and artisanal skill.
By drawing out the best characteristics of each origin and balancing umami, aroma, and color, we create the unmistakable flavor of Sugiyama’s Guricha—a tea unlike any other.
 

What is Guricha?– A Unique Japanese Green Tea

Guricha, formally known as Steamed Tamaryokucha, is a distinctive Japanese green tea recognized for its curled leaf shape.
 

 

How It’s Made

• Steaming – Freshly picked leaves are steamed to stop oxidation and preserve their vibrant green color.
• Primary Rolling (Sojū / Jūnen) – The leaves are loosened and lightly rolled to even out moisture.
• Intermediate Rolling & Drying – Further moisture is removed while shaping the leaves.
• Final Drying – Unlike sencha, the leaves are not rolled into needle shapes. Instead, they are dried as is, resulting in a gently curved form.

This process produces a tea with less astringency than sencha and a smoother, more mellow flavor.
 

Flavor Profile

• Mild, with reduced astringency

• Rich in umami and natural sweetness

• fukamushi (deep-steaming) method, Guricha develops even more body and a deep, beautiful green infusion. Its umami gently spreads across the palate, followed by a soft, pleasant aftertaste.

 

Sugiyama’s Original Guricha

At Guricha no Sugiyama, we maximize the appeal of Guricha through:

• Careful Origin Selection – Sourcing from Shizuoka, Kagoshima, and Miyazaki.

• Varietal Diversity – Combining cultivars such as Yabukita, Saemidori, and Yutakamidori.

• Deep-Steaming Process – Achieving a rich green liquor and smooth mouthfeel.

• Expert Blending – Our artisans balance aroma, umami, and color by understanding the character of each origin and cultivar.

 
The result is Sugiyama’s Guricha—a tea that is low in astringency yet rich in flavor, with an elegant aroma unlike any other.