{"product_id":"new-2026-shincha-otonashi-kamairi-sencha-hongu-wakayama-50g-naturally-grown","title":"NEW 2026 SHINCHA Otonashi Kamairi Sencha, Hongu, Wakayama, 50g, Naturally Grown","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOtonashi Kamairi Sencha, Hongu, Wakayama - 2026 Shincha (New Harvest Tea), Naturally grown with no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOrigin: Grown by Natsumi Chatsumi Tea Farm in the town of Hongu, Wakayama  Prefecture. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCultivar: Yabukita.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe bluish-gray curly leaves of this Sencha brew up to a dusty rose color, with a roasted aroma, more like an Oolong tea than a Sencha. Only short steeps are needed to bring out flavors of cocoa, honey, and plum with a light astringent finish over several infusions. While the processing method makes this a Japanese Kamairicha (Kettle-Roasted Tea), locally this tea is referred to as \"Bancha,\" a term typically reserved for later harvest teas or teas made from leaves lower down the plant than Sencha or Gyokuro. Bancha is often called an ordinary or everyday tea, and this is how the locals view this tea. Processing-wise for this tea, first-harvest (shincha) tea leaves are roasted in a \"\u003cem\u003ekama\u003c\/em\u003e\", a kettle, to stop oxidation.\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003eThis often defines Kamairicha. The local \"Bancha\" production method starts here as well, but is followed by a period of sun-drying after the initial roasting, which turns the leaves black. Then, they are roasted again to give the tea a fully roasted flavor and slightly smoky aroma, as well as to turn the leaves a bluish-gray color. This is the everyday drinking tea of the locals and is also widely used in their regional version of \u003cem\u003eokayu\u003c\/em\u003e (rice porridge) made with Bancha (instead of water or Houjicha, a specialty of Nara).    \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTeas from Wakayama Prefecture, collectively known as \"Kishu\" teas, from the old provincial name of the region, are extremely rare in Japan, accounting for just a fraction of the 0.2% share produced outside of the main tea centers of Shizuoka, Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Kyoto, Shiga, Mie, etc. Within the family of Kishu Teas are some smaller regional specialties, including Otonashicha (Otonashi Tea) from the Kumano area near Tanabe City, focused in Hongu Town. The literal translation of \"Otonashi\" is \"No Sound\", and refers to the Otonashi River, a small and \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003equiet \u003c\/span\u003eriver near Kumano Hongu Taisha, one of the most sacred Shinto shrines in the region. This old regional specialty has almost died out, with a reported 100 farms in the last century now dwindled down to just a few remaining in Hongu, including Natsumi Chatsumi Tea Farm, as well as a small amount of tea grown by the shrine itself for their annual \"Shincha-Sai\" (New Harvest Tea Ceremony).  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNatsumi Chatsumi Tea farm is run by Natsumi Kurihara, who in 2020 returned to her hometown from the big city of Osaka, and took over the reigns from her late grandparents who farmed the same tea fields from 1970 until her grandfather's passing in 2018. She is joined by her husband, Jordan Schulenberg, a devoted tea enthusiast from the United States who was already working in tea in Japan when he began volunteering at Natsumi's farm in 2023. Together, they are working diligently to revive the local brand of Otonashicha (Otonashi tea), and to help revive the local economy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNatsumi Chatsumi Tea Farm has been approved by Kumano Hongu Taisha (holder of the registered trademark) to continue use of \"Otonashicha\" as a regional brand name, as well as the use of their Sencha in the annual Shincha-sai (New Harvest Tea Ceremony). They have also been approved to use the  \"Yatagarasu\" (a legendary three-legged crow) as logo on their tea packages*. The Yatagarasu was sent by the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, to aid Japan's first emperor, Jimmu Tennou, to navigate the rugged mountain passes of the Kumano region to the regions of modern-day Yoshino and Kashihara, which would become Yamato, Japan's first Imperial Court and unified capital, around 660 BCE (with a date of February 11 still celebrated as a public holiday in Japan as National Foundation Day (Kenkoku Kinen no Hi).     \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"western\" align=\"left\" style=\"line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eAs you can see, there is a lot of history in every cup of Otonashicha, from Wakayama's sacred Kumano region. I am proud and delighted to be working with Natsumi Chatsumi to bring Otonashicha to my Charaku Tea friends!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"western\" align=\"left\" style=\"line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"western\" align=\"left\" style=\"line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003e*A rough translation of the label text: \u003cem\u003e\"\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Aptos, Aptos EmbeddedFont, Aptos MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif, serif, EmojiFont;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003eThe Otonashi River purifies impurities along the sacred path of the deities of Kii Province.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-family: Aptos, Aptos EmbeddedFont, Aptos MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif, serif, EmojiFont;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003eIt is with these pristine waters that Otonashi Tea has been cultivated since ancient times. Cherished for its pure, noble aroma and flavor, this tea has long been a favorite among pilgrims visiting Kumano—both as a delightful refreshment and as a treasured souvenir.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Charaku Fine Japanese Tea","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58147870212399,"sku":null,"price":13.25,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0778\/9464\/8111\/files\/HONGU.KAMAIRI.LEAF.jpg?v=1783464520","url":"https:\/\/charaku-tea.com\/products\/new-2026-shincha-otonashi-kamairi-sencha-hongu-wakayama-50g-naturally-grown","provider":"Charaku Fine Japanese Tea","version":"1.0","type":"link"}