Matcha Journal

Yame in Fukuoka grows some of Japan's most decorated tea. What the gyokuro shading tradition does to matcha, how Yame compares with Uji and Kagoshima, and our Gold Prize reserve lot.

Say "good matcha" and most people reflexively say Uji. That reflex is 800 years old and it is also the reason Uji tencha auction lots peaked at 43,330 yen per kilo in 2025, roughly 3.6 times the year before. Meanwhile...