Yame Organic Kirari 31 Shincha

Bright green and smooth, with a lightly toasted-almond aroma and flavor, and almost none of the grassiness you might expect from Japanese green tea.

Our 2026 spring-harvest Yame Organic Kirari 31 Shincha comes from a third-generation family tea garden in the mountains of Yabe Village, Fukuoka. This spring-picked green tea has a beautiful bright color, a soft, medium-bodied texture, and a mild finish that leaves the palate feeling clean.

About Kirari 31

Kirari 31 (きらり31) is a Japanese cultivar developed from Sakimidori and Saemidori. It is known for its bright green color and smooth, mellow character. Although Kirari 31 buds relatively early, the cooler mountain climate around this farm means the spring harvest starts later than in lower-elevation tea gardens.

From an Organic Mountain Tea Garden

This family has grown tea for about 80 years. Their gardens are spread across the mountains of Yame, roughly 400–600 meters above sea level. The area is cool even in summer, and winter can bring snow.

The farm received organic JAS certification in 2015. They grow without synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers, taking advantage of the cooler mountain environment, where insect pressure is lower. Organic growing also means more work managing the soil and weeds by hand.

What sets this family apart is the way they keep learning. They make much more than traditional Japanese green tea, experimenting with processing ideas from China and Taiwan to develop their oolong and black teas. Their spring Koshun oolong received a Platinum Award at the 2023 Japan Tea Award. The same family makes several of our Japanese oolongs and black teas, including the popular Organic Cherry Blossom Black Tea.

What You'll Taste

• Aroma: Lightly toasted almond
• Flavor: Lightly toasted almond, bright and fresh, with very little grassiness
• Body: Very smooth, with medium thickness
• Aftertaste: Mild and short, with a particularly clean finish

How to Brew

Tea: 5 g
Water: 200 mL (about 7 fl oz)
Temperature: 165°F (74°C)
First steep: 60 seconds

Use a Japanese teapot or an infuser with room for the leaves to open, and pour all the tea out when the time is up. No rinse is needed. For a second steep, start around 15–20 seconds; for a third, try 30–45 seconds. Adjust to taste.

Leo's Notes

When I visited this farm in Yame, I was reminded why I keep coming back to this family's teas. They're always trying something different and learning from the way tea is made in other countries. Some of our favorite Japanese oolongs and black teas come from these same people.

Kirari 31 surprised me in another way. Both the aroma and flavor remind me of toasted almonds, yet the tea stays bright and remarkably clean. And even though it's a caffeinated green tea, I personally find it very calming to drink. It's the kind of tea I enjoy when I want to sit quietly and slow down.

Leo Lukidi
Founder, Tea & Whisk

Origin: Yabe Village, Yame, Fukuoka, Japan  |  Tea: Organic Japanese green tea, 2026 spring first flush  |  Cultivar: Kirari 31