Quick answer — what is the Okumidori cultivar?
Okumidori (奥緑, “deep green”) is a Japanese tea cultivar registered in 1974 as Tea Norin No. 32. Bred at Kanaya in Shizuoka from Yabukita and a local landrace, it buds late, resists frost, and yields a deep-green, umami-rich leaf prized for Tencha, matcha and gyokuro.
Anyone who has tasted a range of Japanese Matcha side by side will notice, sooner or later, that the differences between them don't come from region or processing method alone. A Matcha from Uji can taste gentle and umami-rich; another from the same village can be almost sharp and grassy. The deciding factor is often the cultivar — the plant variety the leaves come from. Okumidori (奥緑) is one of those Cultivars worth knowing. Not because it's the most famous, but because it quietly does its work, unnamed, in many of Japan's finest Matcha blends — and because, tasted as a Single-Cultivar, it reveals a depth that convinces immediately.
The name: deep and green — not a jewel
The name 奥緑 is made up of two characters: 奥 (oku) and 緑 (midori). 緑 means green — the fresh, vivid green of young leaves. 奥 is more layered: it denotes depth, the hidden, the interior. In Japanese it appears in words like 奥深い (okufukai, profound) or 奥山 (okuyama, deep mountain country). In the language of plant breeding, 奥 also carries the sense of lateness — many Japanese tea Cultivars with the prefix 奥 (such as Okuyutaka) are late-budding varieties. The name 奥緑 describes a variety that unfolds its deep, saturated green late in the season. No metaphor, no jewel — a botanical characterisation so precise that you only fully appreciate it once you've seen the leaves themselves.
This kind of naming is typical of Japanese tea research: exact, sober, visual. Anyone who sees fresh Okumidori shoots in spring — deep green, broad, almost fleshy — understands immediately what the name means.
Breeding history: Kanaya, 1953–1974
Okumidori is not an accident. The cultivar was developed as part of a systematic breeding programme at the National Tea Research Station in Kanaya (静岡県金谷), now part of NARO (the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization of Japan). The crossing year was 1953 — a period when Japan was rebuilding its tea industry after the Second World War and researchers were actively looking for varieties to complement or relieve pressure on the undisputed market leader, Yabukita.
The parent plants were: Yabukita as the seed parent (花親, hanaoya) and Shizuoka Zairai No. 16 (静岡在来16号) as the pollen parent. Shizuoka Zairai No. 16 is a wild form from Shizuoka — not a registered variety, but a local seedling collected in trial gardens and selected for its leaf material. This cross combines the robust reliability of Yabukita with the quality traits of an old local form: a classic approach to post-war breeding.
After two decades of selection, trial cultivation, and quality assessment, Okumidori was officially registered with the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture in 1974 as 茶農林32号 (Tea Norin No. 32). It is one of the few Cultivars of its generation to have held its ground in practice — many registrations from those decades quietly disappeared because they failed to prove themselves agronomically or sensorially.
A footnote for anyone who likes the details: a 2021 molecular genetics study using SSR markers (Simple Sequence Repeats) concluded that the pollen parentage of Shizuoka Zairai No. 16 may not be as clear-cut as recorded in the original breeding documentation. The official registration stands — but it's a reminder that historical breeding records are occasionally incomplete.
Growing characteristics: late, frost-hardy, robust
The agronomic description of Okumidori reads, at first glance, unremarkable — and that's precisely where its strength lies. The cultivar buds roughly eight to eleven days later than Yabukita. That might sound like a minor point, but for a tea farmer in a mountainous region it's a significant relief: late frosts that can occur in April and early May at higher elevations may no longer threaten the young shoots simply because they haven't emerged yet.
Beyond frost tolerance, Okumidori is also known for its comparatively high yield. Some sources report that fresh-leaf output across all three harvest rounds can average significantly above Yabukita's — in certain trials, up to double. This figure should be read with care, as it depends heavily on site, cultivation, and the specific growing year; but the cultivar's fundamentally vigorous growth is well documented. The habit is upright, the shoots long, the leaves broad and slightly fleshy — all traits that are advantageous for mechanical harvesting.
The combination of late ripening and strong productivity makes Okumidori the preferred companion variety on farms that primarily grow Yabukita: the staggered timing means harvesting machines and labour can be kept occupied across several weeks without overlap. In Shizuoka, which produces around 40 percent of Japan's tea, Okumidori is found on thousands of hectares for exactly this reason. In Nishio, it is actually the dominant cultivar for Tencha cultivation.
The leaves show a pronounced deep-green colouration — a trait that points to high chlorophyll content and is reflected directly in the cup: Okumidori teas, whether as Sencha or Matcha, are noted for a particularly vivid, saturated colour that is explicitly prized in the trade.
Flavour profile: Umami without edges
Saying Okumidori is hard to describe would be wrong — the cultivar is actually quite clear in character. What it lacks is sharpness. The slight grassiness that defines many Yabukita Sencha is barely present in Okumidori. Instead, a calm, broad Umami unfolds — reminiscent of steamed edamame or a light dashi: depth without dominance. Astringency is low, the finish long and round.
In direct comparison with the other major Matcha Cultivars:
- Yabukita: Yabukita has a sharper freshness, a more pronounced bitter note that reads as pleasant when prepared correctly. Okumidori is softer, more approachable, heavier in Umami.
- Saemidori: The bright 1990 cultivar (Yabukita × Asatsuyu), grown mainly in Kagoshima. Saemidori is sweeter, lighter and more floral; Okumidori is fuller-bodied, a touch more vivid in colour and deeper in Umami.
- Asahi: A very old Uji cultivar known for its creaminess and intensity. Asahi is heavier, denser, more polarising. Okumidori is more balanced — accessible for everyday use without becoming ordinary.
What all these descriptions have in common: Okumidori is not a cultivar that announces itself. It's the one that rounds out a blend, that makes a second steep worthwhile, that remains pleasant even when preparation isn't quite ideal. That's not a weakness — it's a precisely bred characteristic.
Use: Uji blends and Single-Cultivar
In the tea ceremony world of Uji and Wazuka, Okumidori has been an indispensable part of premium Matcha blends for decades. Tea masters (chashi) assembling blends for Iemoto schools such as Urasenke or Omotesenke value the cultivar for its colour contribution and its harmonising effect: Okumidori lifts the Umami of a blend without overwhelming other components. If you've ever wondered why a high-grade Uji Matcha tastes so consistently balanced, so deep-green, so composed — the answer often lies, at least in part, in this cultivar.
Beyond the ceremony, Okumidori has gained visibility in recent years as a Single-Cultivar product (tanshu-Matcha). Small producers in Wazuka (Kyoto) and Ujitawara focused on direct sales offer Okumidori Matcha as Single-Cultivar teas — often from deeply shaded Tencha cultivation, hand-picked in the first spring harvest. These teas show what the cultivar can do on its own: a full, coherent flavour profile with pronounced colour and an elegant finish.
Outside the Matcha world, Okumidori is also used as Tencha in Aichi Prefecture and as Gyokuro in Fukuoka — where the cultivar is selected for intensive shading cultivation and develops correspondingly high theanine concentrations. As Sencha it appears particularly in Shizuoka and Kagoshima, where the warmer climate produces a more assertive character than one finds from Kyoto.
Okumidori accounts for an estimated 3.3 percent of Japan's total tea cultivation area — a small share compared to Yabukita (75–80 percent), but a stable one. In Kyoto Prefecture its share is significantly higher at around 12 percent, a direct reflection of its importance to the Matcha sector.
Shading and processing
For Tencha and Matcha, Okumidori plants are typically shaded for two to four weeks before harvest — either with traditional straw (komo) or synthetic shade netting (kanreisha). Shading reduces photosynthesis, increases chlorophyll content, and promotes the formation of L-theanine at the expense of catechins. The result is the characteristic Matcha profile: Umami-rich, low in astringency, deeply green.
Okumidori's somewhat thicker, fleshier leaves require a slightly adjusted approach during steaming (mushime): under-steamed, they don't fully lose their raw vegetal smell; over-steamed, they give up colour and freshness. Experienced processors note that Okumidori demands a little more attention than a Yabukita batch — which makes it less attractive for large industrial operations, but poses no obstacle for skilled small-scale producers.
After steaming and drying, the leaf material is processed into Tencha: stems and leaf veins are removed, and the remaining leaf blades are ground on stone mills into fine powder. Milling temperature and speed significantly influence the final flavour profile; for premium Matcha from Okumidori, the mills are run slowly to minimise heat build-up and the resulting loss of aroma.
Okumidori at UNEARTHED
More on Okumidori specifically as a Matcha cultivar in our Okumidori Matcha article. Several of the Matcha we carry at UNEARTHED are made from Okumidori Tencha — either as Single-Cultivar or as the primary component of a blend. Our Single-Cultivar options: Okumidori Nishio and Okumidori Kagoshima in the Single-Cultivar range. The line from Marukyu Koyamaen, one of Uji's most respected Matcha producers, uses Okumidori as a key component of the characteristic balance in their ceremonial-grade products. Anyone tasting Soju, Meiju, or Oju (欧寿) is drinking — among other Cultivars — the character of Okumidori: that quiet, deep Umami that doesn't impose itself and yet holds everything together.
For a direct comparison, we'd suggest tasting an Okumidori-based Matcha alongside a Yabukita Sencha. The differences are immediately apparent: where the Sencha has a fresh, slightly sharp vivacity, the Matcha is broader, rounder, weightier. That's not a difference in quality — it's a difference in character. Both deserve attention. Okumidori perhaps deserves a little more of it than it usually gets.
Our current Matcha selection, including teas made with Okumidori, is available here in our online shop. Anyone curious to explore the world of Matcha Cultivars further is welcome at our regular Matcha tastings in Munich — dates and details at unearthed-gallery.com.
The Okumidori family tree
Okumidori is Yabukita (mother) × the Shizuoka Zairai 16 landrace (father). A 2021 SSR-marker study found the recorded paternity does not match genetically — hence the dashed line.
Okumidori teas at UNEARTHED
The Okumidori teas we currently carry — each product page shows its full spec table (producer, region, tasting notes):
Okumidori cultivar FAQ
What does Okumidori mean?
奥緑 combines 奥 (oku, depth/interior) and 緑 (midori, green). It describes a variety that develops its deep, saturated green late in the season; the 奥 prefix, as in Okuyutaka, also marks a late-budding cultivar.
When and where was Okumidori bred?
It was crossed in 1953 at the National Tea Research Station in Kanaya, Shizuoka (now part of NARO), and registered in 1974 as Tea Norin No. 32 (茶農林32号) — one of few registrations of its generation still widely grown.
Who are Okumidori’s parents?
The seed parent is Yabukita; the recorded pollen parent is Shizuoka Zairai No. 16, a local landrace. A 2021 SSR-marker study found the recorded paternity does not match genetically, so the father should be treated as uncertain.
Why is late budding an advantage?
Okumidori buds roughly 8–11 days after Yabukita, so its young shoots emerge after the late frosts of April and early May. In mountain regions that timing can save the high-value first flush, and it lets a farm harvest Yabukita and Okumidori in sequence.
How much of Japan’s tea is Okumidori?
About 3.3% of the national tea area — the fourth most planted cultivar. In Kyoto Prefecture, the matcha heartland, its share is far higher at around 12%.
