OUR MATCHA
Harvest Transparency
Kitaura Matcha was founded on the belief that consumers deserve clarity about what they are drinking. Outside Japan, limited regulation has allowed low-grade, blended, and substitute powders to be sold under the name “matcha”, obscuring origin and quality.
Terroir: The Makinohara Plateau
The Makinohara Plateau became a major tea-growing region during the Meiji Restoration (1868–1912), when former samurai developed the land itself, transforming it into one of Japan’s most significant tea-producing region. Its ancient alluvial soils from the Ōi River—well-drained, slightly acidic, and warmed by long hours of sunlight—create ideal conditions for slow, balanced leaf growth.
This terroir produces tencha with a clean, vibrant profile and natural depth, forming the foundation of our matcha’s character.
Shading and Cultivation
Our tea plants are shaded for four weeks before harvest using the kanreisha method, where shade cloth is raised above the plants rather than laid directly on the leaves. This allows airflow and humidity circulation while encouraging chlorophyll development and the amino acids responsible for umami.
This approach supports shizen-shitate, a natural-growth cultivation style that preserves the plant’s original form and vitality, making the process more labour-intensive.
Harvest and Processing
Harvested in spring, tencha is immediately steamed to halt oxidisation, preserving its colour and freshness. The leaves are then dried, sorted, and stone-milled into matcha.
Milling in Kyoto
Stone milling is a slow and meticulous process. Producing 40 grams of matcha requires approximately one hour of grinding. This gentle method protects aroma, colour, and nutritional integrity by minimizing heat generation during the slow grinding process.
Makinohara oversees cultivation and tencha processing, while Kyoto—Japan’s historic centre of matcha craftsmanship—carries out the final milling, reflecting a long-established production tradition.
Mogacha and the Importance of Transparency
As global demand for matcha has grown, consumption has begun to exceed Japan’s capacity to produce traditional, shade-grown tencha. In response, lower-cost powderedgreen teas—often sencha-based and unshaded—have entered the market under the same name.
These substitutes, sometimes referred to as mogacha, bypass essential steps such as extended shading, tencha refinement, and slow stone milling, resulting in significant differences in flavour, colour, and quality.
Why Kitaura Matcha
Kitaura Matcha works directly with a single producer in Makinohara, allowing every lot to be traced from field to finish. Detailed records cover shading periods, harvest dates, fertilisation, and tencha processing, ensuring origin integrity and accountability at every stage.
At a time when tea farmers face rising costs, climate pressures, and an aging workforce, transparency and direct partnerships are essential. By prioritising traceability and traditional production, Kitaura Matcha supports long-term sustainability while renewing appreciation for Japan’s tea culture.