Celebrating Regional Matcha, From Field to Cup

One of the things we love most about tea is that it tells a story. Not just of flavour, but of place, season, and the people who make it. Matcha is no different.

As interest in matcha has grown in recent years, so has our appreciation for how beautifully complex it really is. Much like wine grapes grown in different regions produce distinctly different wines, tea leaves grown across Japan create matcha with their own personalities. From cultivation methods and soil conditions to harvest timing, every detail shapes what ends up in your cup.

At Pluck Tea, we believe these differences deserve to be celebrated.

Why regionality matters

Tea, like any agricultural product, is deeply influenced by where it’s grown. Soil composition, climate, rainfall, altitude, and terroir all play a role. Add to that the tea cultivar, the time of year the leaves are harvested, and how the plants are cultivated, and you begin to see why no two matchas are ever quite the same.

As matcha’s popularity has surged, more tea regions across Japan have begun converting fields to grow shaded tea leaves, which are processed into tencha and ultimately ground into matcha. While the process may look similar, the results are anything but.

Cultivars, the foundation of flavour

Several cultivars are commonly used in Japanese tea and matcha production, each with its own characteristics. Here are some examples:

Yabukita (やぶきた) is the most widely grown cultivar, accounting for over 70% of Japan’s tea crops. It’s known for its balanced profile, fresh grassy notes, and strong umami.

Saemidori (さえみどり) produces a vivid green matcha with a sweeter, umami-rich flavour and light astringency.

Okumidori (おくみどり) is a late-budding, frost-resistant cultivar that creates a delicate umami and vegetal matcha.

How these cultivars express themselves also depends largely on where they’re grown.

Uji, the birthplace of Japanese matcha

Uji is well known as the birthplace of Japanese matcha, and is the country’s oldest tea-growing region. The tea gardens here are often terraced along hillsides, which means large harvesting machinery isn’t practical. Instead, growers rely on handheld harvesters, carefully walking the terraces to collect the leaves.

This slower, more manual approach contributes to the refined character Uji matcha is known for, often prized for its depth, elegance, and tradition.

Shizuoka, Japan’s largest tea region

Shizuoka is Japan’s largest tea-producing region, with flatter fields that allow for larger harvests and more mechanized equipment. Within Shizuoka, Kakegawa stands out as a nationally renowned tea-growing area.

Fertile soil, moderate rainfall, and ample sunlight help produce robust, nutrient-rich tea leaves. Harvesting begins in late April, and the autumn flush extends into October. The first harvest leaves absorb nutrients from the soil throughout winter, then emerge as tender new buds in spring.

The matcha we source from this region is made from these first harvest leaves, resulting in a rich aroma and robust flavour. The cultivar used is Yabukita, which thrives here and delivers a well-structured, vibrant cup with balanced umami and vegetal notes.

Nagasaki, thoughtful cultivation with patience

In Nagasaki, matcha production follows a particularly careful rhythm. The cultivar used here is Okumidori, and the shading period is slightly longer than at many farms. While this extended shading enhances umami, it also places more stress on the tea plants.

To protect plant health, only one-third of the fields are shaded at a time. The remaining plants are given full sunlight for two years to recover. Shading is applied to each section only once every three years. This slow, intentional approach results in a matcha that is smooth, mellow, and deeply satisfying.

Kagoshima, volcanic soil and innovation

Kagoshima sits at the southern tip of Japan, where tea fields grow in nutrient-rich volcanic soil shaped by the nearby Sakurajima volcano. This environment imparts a distinctive character to the tea.

We’ve worked with our family-run farm partner in Kagoshima for over a decade. What sets them apart is their commitment to innovation and sustainability. Rather than using chemical fertilizers, they create their own organic fertilizer from tea stems left over from production. For pest control, they developed a machine that mimics a typhoon, naturally blowing pests off the plants.

Leaves are shaded for at least 28 days, then harvested and aged for three to six months before being ground into matcha. The cultivar here is a blend of Saemidori and Yabukita, producing a matcha with vibrant colour, layered umami, and refined grassy notes.

Harvest timing makes a difference

Beyond region, harvest timing plays a major role in how matcha tastes.

First flush, the first spring harvest of the year, is known for its brilliant green colour, deep umami, and light astringency. It’s often best enjoyed on its own, whisked simply with water.

Later spring and summer harvests develop deeper vegetal notes and more astringency, making them ideal for lattes and culinary applications where they need to shine through milk or other ingredients.

Exploring matcha by region

At Pluck, we’re excited to move beyond a single signature matcha and invite you to explore the incredible diversity that Japanese tea regions have to offer. By highlighting growing region, cultivar, harvests, and flavour notes, we hope to give you a deeper connection to what’s in your cup.

Explore the differences in regional matcha and discover the one that speaks to your ritual.