Heritage Grade Yame Gyokuro Saemidori (5g)

Yame, situated in the southern hills of Fukuoka Prefecture on Kyushu, is Japan's undisputed home of gyokuro. Though the region accounts for only around 3% of Japan's total tea output, it produces more than 45% of the country's gyokuro — a concentration that speaks to both the exceptional terroir and the deep-rooted commitment of its growers.

Tea was first brought to Yame in 1406 by Zen priest Eirin Suzui, who planted seeds near Reiganji Temple. Today the region's signature style is Yame Dento Hon Gyokuro — a Geographical Indication-protected tea and the most traditional form of gyokuro made anywhere in Japan. Yame is the only region that still covers its tea fields exclusively with rice straw screens (sumaki), a technique that blocks up to 98% of sunlight in the final days before harvest, forcing the leaves to accumulate theanine and chlorophyll and producing a deep, sweet umami unlike any other green tea.

The semi-mountainous landscape, mineral-rich soils, and dramatic day-to-night temperature swings generate morning fog that further shades the plants naturally. The harvest is done entirely by hand, selecting only the uppermost two leaves and stem. Yame's growers have won Japan's national tea fair top prize for gyokuro 23 consecutive years — a record that reflects both tradition and mastery.