OBUKUCHA 2026 Special Blend

This is an auspicious tea, enjoyed during the New Year to celebrate the arrival of a new beginning and to wish for health throughout the year. Its origins trace back to the Heian period, when the monk Kuya spread this tea to calm a plague that had struck the capital. Later, it came to be known as "Royal Tea" as it was served to the Emperor on New Year's Day. Eventually, it gained popularity among the common people as "Daifuku Tea," a tea to celebrate the New Year.

At YUGEN, we have created our 2026 Special Blend with heartfelt wishes for a vibrant and fulfilling year ahead. This special blend combines our usual single-origin Kabuse Sencha with Sencha, to bring you something truly unique.

You may also enjoy this tea with a piece of kombu or a plum added to it for an extra delightful experience.

We sincerely wish you all health and a bright future.

・Wazuka, Kyoto — 800 Years of Tea and Morning Mist

Wazuka, a small town in southern Kyoto Prefecture, has been cultivating tea for over 800 years. It is known as one of Japan’s leading tea-producing regions, highly regarded for the quality of its tea in flavor, aroma, and the beautifully needle-shaped form of the leaves.

Surrounded by mountains, Wazuka sits in a basin with a large difference between day and night temperatures. This climate often brings a deep morning mist over the tea fields. More than a beautiful scene, the mist acts like a natural cover, softening the sunlight and creating a gentle environment for the tea plants.

The amino acids that give tea its sweetness and umami can turn into bitter and astringent compounds when exposed to strong sunlight. In Wazuka, however, the morning mist helps protect the leaves from direct sun, allowing them to retain their rich flavor. The land, the climate, and the mist all come together to create tea with a smooth, mellow taste and deep umami.

【 Tea Leaf Storage Instructions 】

・Store unopened tea in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight, heat, and humidity. For extended storage, keep it sealed, freeze, and let it return to room temperature before opening.

・After opening, place the tea in an airtight, opaque container and keep it in a cool, dark place. For best quality, enjoy as soon as possible, ideally within one month.

・Avoid storing near strongly scented items, as tea easily absorbs odors.