Fruits and Nuts
Aug. 2010
F_N-15Characteristics of Eight Japanese Tea Cultivars
Chika Yagi, Namiko Ikeda, and Dwight Sato*In the 1970s, consumptionof green tea (Camelliasinensis) in Japan increased,following the high rate of
economic growth occurring in the country at thetime. Because domestic tea
production was not meeting
consumer demand, tea wasimported from Taiwan, andmany tea farmers started toopen new fields. At the sametime, labor shortages in thetea-growing areas were severe as a result of workers migrating to urban districts. Tomeet this challenge, mechanization of tea cultivation andharvesting was developed and introduced to the growers.
The new mechanization demanded clonally propagatedcultivars that were high yielding and uniform in bud
initiation and development.
‘Yabukita’ proved to be the most suitable variety,with its vigorous upright branching and intense greentea flavor. The new and improved clonal tea propagation
technology expanded the planting of ‘Yabukita’ tremendously over seed-produced plants, starting in Shizuoka
and then spreading to all of Japan’s tea-growing regions,
eventually accounting for three-quarters of all the tea
cultivated in Japan. ‘Yabukita’ was high yielding and had*Chika Yagi is a graduate of the College of Agriculture, Forestryand Natural Resource Management, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo,residing in Shizuoka, Japan; Namiko Ikeda is with the National
Institute of Vegetable and Tea Science, Shizuoka, Japan; DwightSato is with the CTAHR Department of Plant and Environmental
Protection Sciences at the Komohana Agricultural Research andExtension Complex, Hilo.

quality attributes that Japanese tea drinkers favored,
including a novel green-tea
taste characteristic known
as “umami.” Earlier or later
harvests of all other tea
cultivars in Japan became
based on the harvest periodof ‘Yabukita’.
Farmers increased field
plantings of ‘Yabukita’,creating a single-cultivar
monoculture and, as aconsequence, a marketingproblem. Acceptable farm-gate tea pricing could bemaintained for only a short period because of sharp
seasonal over-production in the domestic market. This
one-cultivar industry also led to prevalent and frequent
outbreaks of tea plant pest and diseases. In addition, thenew tea cultivar required excessive amounts of fertilizer
for optimal growth and brew quality, which increased
farm management and production costs. This high productivity also contributed to delay of shoot maturation.
Therefore, growing too much ‘Yabukita’ was viewed
as a detriment to market stability, and an interest in tea
cultivar diversification emerged.
In the 1980s, many excellent cultivars were developed
and registered in Japan. Past selection criteria to screen
tea cultivars included characteristics such as early harvest
season, good taste quality, and high yield. The tea cultivar development program aimed to extend the harvest
season by cultivar diversification and by incorporating
resistance to anthracnose (Colletotrichum sp.), gray blight(Pestalotiopsis sp.), and a plant pest called the mulberryscale (Pseudaulacaspis pentagona). It was perceived that
if Japanese tea farmers grew a variety of cultivars, thisPublished by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) and issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under the Director/Dean, Cooperative Extension Service/CTAHR, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96822.
The university is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution providing programs and services to the people of Hawai‘i without regard to race, sex, gender identity and expression, age, religion,color, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, arrest and court record, sexual orientation, or status as a covered veteran. Find CTAHR publications at www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/freepubs.

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Characteristics of Eight Japanese Tea Cultivars

would increase and improve market stability, increase tea
beverage product lines, and increase use of tea in food,health, and cosmetic products. Currently, 52 cultivars areregistered with the Japan Ministry of Agriculture andForestry. ‘Yabukita’ is still the dominant cultivar grown
and sold in Japan, but farmers are beginning to betterselect, utilize, and manage cultivar diversity based on their
specific regional environments and market conditions.
The purpose of this publication is to provide background information on selected tea cultivars from Japanand to explore some of the concepts of assessment andevaluation that Japanese researchers have employed incharacterizing tea cultivars. A simple hand-processingand brew-quality evaluation method was adopted as aworking protocol for preliminary screening of tea selections. We advocate that the tea industry in Hawai‘i should
develop a tea variety improvement program to selectappropriate tea cultivars in order to gain sustainability
and diversification.
‘Yabukita’‘Yabukita’ was selected by Hikosaburo Sugiyama, agrower in Abe County, Shizuoka, in 1908. ‘Yabukita’has been popular and widely adaptable throughout Japan

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General types of Japanese teaSencha

The most popular green tea consumed in Japan. It
is typically grown in full sun and is harvested in thespring. It is steam-processed and is prized for its intense green color and ‘umami’ flavor. Sencha is madefrom 78 percent of the tea grown in Japan.
GyokuroKnown as the finest Japanese green tea, having aunique and sweet flavor. It is shaded for about 20 days
before harvest, which contributes to its deep green
color and sweetness. Only 0.3 percent of tea produced
in Japan is processed as gyokuro.
TenchaShade-grown tea similar to gyokuro but processed
without rolling prior to drying. Tencha is the precursor to matcha. It represents 1.1 percent of total tea
production in Japan.
MatchaThe powdered green tea used in tea ceremonies.

Summary: Japanese tea cultivar backgrounds and characteristics
Cultivar:

Yabukita

Yutakamidori

Benihikari

Benihomare

Year registered1953

1966

1969

1953

Original cross location1

Abe, Shizuoka

NIVTS

NIVTS

NIVTS

Parents

Seedling of native
Asatsuyu seedling
Benikaori x Cn 1
Shizuoka species			Seedling fromIndia variety

Spring harvest

April–mid-May

EarlyLate

Late

Branching type

Upright

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

VigorMediumHighHigh

MediumYieldHigh

Medium-highMedium-highLow

Brew quality	 	 	 	 	ColorHigh
MediumMediumHighAroma
HighMediumHighHigh
TasteHighMediumHighHigh
Cold resistance
HighLow			Med (green tea),high (black tea)

MediumDisease resistanceHigh resistanceto anthracnoseand gray blight

High resistanceto anthracnoseand gray blight

Susceptible toHigh resistanceanthracnose
to anthracnoseand gray blight		

NIVTS = National Institute of Vegetable and Tea Science12

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Characteristics of Eight Japanese Tea Cultivars

because it proved to be have high yield and exceptional
quality. It has an elegant aroma and a strong “umami”taste. Its major disadvantages are its susceptibility to thefungal diseases anthracnose and gray blight. ‘Yabukita’is cultivated on 90,400 acres, which is 77 percent of thetotal tea cultivation area in Japan. The major ‘Yabukita’production regions (with the percentage of dominance bythis cultivar) are Shizuoka (93%), Mie (84%), Fukuoka(77%), Saitama (72%), Kyoto (62%), and Kagoshima(40%).
‘Yutakamidori’‘Yutakamidori’ was selected from a population of‘Asatsuyu’ (gyokuro flavor) seedlings at the National
Institute of Vegetable and Tea Science in Kanaya andlater registered in Kagoshima in 1966. This cultivar issecond to ‘Yabukita’ in total field production area inJapan, with 6148 acres. It is mainly grown in the Kagoshima and Miyazaki regions. Harvest is 5 days earlier
than ‘Yabukita’; it has good yields and high resistance toanthracnose. ‘Yutakamidori’ is shaded at 60 percent offull sun for a week prior to harvest to soften its shoots,
intensify its green tea color, and reduce bitterness. It
can also be grown like gyokuro, but longer steaming is
recommended during the first processing step.

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‘Benihikari’‘Benihikari’ was developed in 1952 from a cross between ‘Benikaori’ and Cn1 (a Chinese variety) at theMakurazaki Black Tea Experiment Station (Kagoshima),
now known as the National Research Institute of Vegetables, Ornamental Plants and Tea. It was registeredin 1969 as a tea variety with parentage from India,
Japan, and China. Seasonal yields are good and disease
resistance is high, but recovering for the next tea flush
is longer. ‘Benihikari’ makes a high-quality black tea
with a strong incense-like aroma. It is much too bitterto make it into green tea.
‘Benihomare’‘Benihomare’ was selected in 1953 from a seedling
population derived from a native India variety grown at
the National Institute of Vegetable and Tea Science inKanaya. It is usually harvested 2 weeks after ‘Yabukita’;
it has an intermediate branching pattern and strong resistance to anthracnose and gray blight. ‘Benihomare’ is thebest black tea cultivar in Japan, but yields are typicallylow. It produces a tea with a brilliant red color and strong
astringency. Excessive nitrogen fertilizer application isknown to reduce its taste quality.

Summary: Japanese tea cultivar backgrounds and characteristics (continued)
Cultivar:

Okuhikari

OkumidoriTsuyuhikari

SaemidoriYear registered1985

19742001

1990

Original cross location1

STES

NIVTS

STES

NIVTS

Parents

Yabukita x
Shizu Cy 225

Yabukita x Shizuoka
native variety No. 16

Shizu 7132 x
Asatsuyu

Yabukita x
Asatsuyu

Spring harvest

Late

Late

Early

Early

Branching type

Upright

SpreadingIntermediate

Intermediate

Vigor

HighHigh

High

MediumYield

Med-highHighHigh

Medium-highBrew quality
Color
Aroma
Taste

Med-highHigh
HighHigh
HighHighHighHighHigh

Very highHigh
Very highCold resistanceHighHighHighLow

Disease resistanceResistant to
SlightlyHighly resistantanthracnose, graysusceptible toto anthracnose,blight, blister blight;
anthracnose		susceptible to			bacterial shoot blight

Resistant toto anthracnose,
susceptible togray blight

NIVTS = National Institute of Vegetable and Tea Science; STES = Shizuoka Tea Experiment Station1

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Characteristics of Eight Japanese Tea Cultivars‘Okuhikari’‘Okuhikari’ was selected from a cross of ‘Yabukita’
and Shizuoka-Cy225 (a Chinese variety) in 1964 at theShizuoka Tea Experiment Station. It has been cultivatedmainly in the mountainous regions since 1987. ‘Okuhikari’ is a good late-harvest variety and is harvested 5–6
days later than ‘Yabukita’. It is therefore a good cultivar
to grow in combination with ‘Yabukita’. Its branching isvigorous and upright. Mature leaves are oval, long, darkgreen, and brilliant. Tea yields are similar to ‘Yabukita’.
‘Okuhikari’ is resistant to anthracnose, blister blight,and gray blight but susceptible to bacterial shoot blight(Pseudomonas syringae pv. theae). Because ‘Okuhikari’
grows in an upright manner, pruning it increases thenumber of buds developed.
‘Okumidori’‘Okumidori’ was developed at the National Institute ofVegetable and Tea Science at Kanaya and was registeredin 1974. It originated from an F1 hybrid of ‘Yabukita’ andShizuoka native variety No. 16. In Shizuoka, 181 acres of‘Okumidori’ are currently under cultivation. Kyoto andMie districts started to grow ‘Okumidori’ in 1999, alongwith ‘Yabukita’, to expand the harvest period for better
labor distribution and management. The Miyazaki andKagoshima areas also extended the harvesting season byincluding ‘Okumidori’ with ‘Yabukita’. Fuji-City started
growing this variety in 2000. ‘Okumidori’ is used asa tencha in Aichi and a gyokuro in Fukuoka. In total,
2013 acres of ‘Okumidori’ are grown in Japan. It is highyielding and is harvested 8 days later than ‘Yabukita’.
‘Okumidori’ has vigorous growth, a spreading growthhabit, and is slightly susceptible to anthracnose.
‘Tsuyuhikari’‘Tsuyuhikari’ was selected from a cross of ‘Shizu 7132’
and ‘Asatsuyu’ in 1970 at the Shizuoka Tea Experiment
Station. It is harvested earlier than ‘Yabukita’ and develops an intermediate branching pattern. It is highly
resistant to anthracnose and blister blight. The qualityof the first harvest is good, and yields are high if hedges
are pruned properly.
‘Saemidori’‘Saemidori’ is a newly registered (1990) early tea cultivarthat was selected from a cross between ‘Yabukita’ and‘Asatsuyu’ in 1969 at the Makurazaki Branch Stationof the National Research Institute of Vegetables, Orna4

F_N-15 — Aug. 2010

mental Plants and Tea. It is harvested 2–5 days earlier
than ‘Yabukita’ and develops an intermediate branching pattern. It is fairly resistant to anthracnose but very
susceptible to gray blight. Yields are medium-high andtaste is very good due to its low bitterness and lack ofastringency. The amino acid content is higher than ‘Yabukita’. ‘Saemidori’, which means “clear green,” has abrilliant green liquor. ‘Saemidori’ is gaining in popularity
in Japan, and it is suitable to be grown in warmer areas
such as Kyushu, Shikoku, Kinki, and Tokai districts. Itis also being processed into gyokuro in Fukuoka. Coauthor Ikeda was part of the tea-improvement team thatbred and studied this cultivar.
Method for establishing and pruning tea
fields used in Japan• Use well-established 1–2-year-old rooted cuttings andplant to fields in cooler regions during March–April.
In warmer regions, plants can also be planted in theautumn season.
• Decide whether you will use single- or double-row(zigzag) spacing. For both double and single rows,
spacing between main hedgerows is 5–6 ft on center.
For single-row, spacing between plants is 12–18 inches.
For double-row, the distance between each pair of rows
is 1–2 ft and within the pair is 2–3 ft.
• Dig planting holes 12–16 inches deep and mix in a
general fertilizer formulation 1 month prior to planting.
• Plant and then mulch with organic material or coverwith weed mat.
• Cut shoot tops 6–8 inches from ground level. The
newly planted tea should have approximately 10 leaves
remaining on its branches. By autumn, root and shootgrowth should have progressed and be well established.
• Prune back new growth next spring to a height of
8–10 inches from ground level. Root and shoot growth
should increase in height and girth by autumn.
• Prune back growth the subsequent spring to a heightof 12–14 inches from ground level. By the autumn of
the third year, light harvesting can be started.
• Prune back the third year’s growth in the autumn or
spring to a height of 16–18 inches.
• Lightly prune tea hedgerows in the autumn or after a
few harvests to remove late-emerging shoot growth,
thereby maintaining a fairly uniform harvest surface.
• Proper pruning at an early phase increases optimal
branching between rows and therefore maximizing
yields in tea production fields.

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Characteristics of Eight Japanese Tea Cultivars

F_N-15 — Aug. 2010

Method for predicting tea harvest time usedin Japan• Take a frame (8 x 8 inches) and randomly place it ona harvestable surface. Count all the newly emerging
buds inside the frame and designate this as total buds.
• Count the number of leaves on each bud. Designate
this as total leaves.
• Calculate opened leaves: total leaves / total buds.
For example, If total leaves is 145 and total buds is48, 145 ÷ 48 = 3.02 leaves per bud.
• Apply the number to the table below. If the current
date is April 15 with three open leaves, bud initiation
occurred 23 days before, which is March 24. The predicted harvesting time is in 11 days, which is April 26.
Openedleaves

Bud initiation
occurred (days prior)

Estimated days
to harvest

0.5
12
3
45

7
14
19
23
28
33

27
20
15
1160

Simple tea processing and quality evaluation
for preliminary screening
1. Harvest 1 lb fresh shoot tips with at least 2–3 leaves
during a sunny period between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
2. Sun-wilt harvested shoot tips on a wide flat tray for atleast 20 minutes.
3. Wither tea indoors for 5–6 hours, turning shoot tips
after 60–90 minutes.
4. Roast outdoors in a large steel wok set at 225–250°C
for 2–3 minutes, using cotton gloves to turn the tea.
At the onset, use an infrared thermometer to measuretemperature at the center of the wok.
5. Turn off stove.
6. Ball and roll cooked tea in a muslin cloth on a wooden
washboard.
7. Air-dry at 80°C or microwave until tea is crisp totouch.
8. Set your tea evaluation bench-top against a window
with diffused morning sunlight.
9. Weight out 2 or 3 g of tea and add 150 ml of hot water(90°C) in a ceramic tea cupping set for 3 or 5 minutes.
10. Rate tea as high, medium, or low in regard to dry leaf
color and dry leaf aroma, liquor color, wet leaf aroma,and flavor and aroma of tea brew.

Wok and propane tank; burner with small orifices, lowflames; turning tea in wok with gloved hands.

11. Give tea an overall rating in regard to potential forfurther evaluation as green or oolong type tea.
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Characteristics of Eight Japanese Tea Cultivars

Further information
Fuchinoue, Y., and H. Fuchinoue. 1999. Nihon cha nozensho (Japan tea book). Agriculture Forestry Aquaculture Society, Tokyo, Japan.
Kadowaki, Sara. 2008. Exploring Japanese tea bushvarieties. Tea Bits, vol. 15-3.
JA Oigawa Environment Preservation Agriculture Society. JA Oigawa Tea Chamber.
Takeda, Yoshiyuki. 2004. Cha no hinshu (tea variety).
Shizuoka Tea Chamber, Shizuoka, Japan.
www.teaosophy.com/education
www.gshaly.com/resources/steepingevaluation.htm
Acknowledgments
Funding for this project was provided in part by theDepartment of Research and Development, County ofHawai‘i, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s
Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center. Dr. FrancisZee, USDA/PBARC, provided manuscript review. Photos
by Dwight Sato.

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F_N-15 — Aug. 2010