Shincha: the first tea of the year, and why Japan waits for it all winter
What shincha is, when it's picked, how it differs from ordinary sencha, and how to brew and store it. Pre-order the first harvest.
2 min read, 18 October 2026
Shincha literally means “new tea”. It's the first sencha of the season, made from leaves of the first spring harvest and sold straight away, within a few weeks. In Japan its arrival in the shops is like the start of the asparagus or strawberry season here in Poland: everyone knows it won't last long.
When it's picked
The first harvest (ichibancha) begins in the south of Japan, on Kyushu, as early as April, and in Shizuoka and Kyoto usually around the turn of April and May. Traditionally the best day for picking is hachijū-hachiya, the eighty-eighth night from the start of spring in the old calendar, around 2 May. According to a folk saying, tea from that day brings luck for the whole year.
How it differs from ordinary sencha
Ordinary first-harvest sencha also comes from the spring, but producers finish drying it and store it to sell throughout the year. Shincha goes on sale straight away and is often dried more gently, so it keeps more of its fresh, green aroma.
- Aroma: freshly cut grass, young peas, sometimes floral notes
- Taste: sweet and light, less bitterness, plenty of umami
- Infusion colour: light, vivid, green-gold
Hashiri: what comes first
In the Japanese food calendar, everything has three moments: hashiri, the first produce of the season; shun, the height of the season; and nagori, the last days, when a flavour says goodbye until next year. Shincha is a hashiri tea: people wait for it all winter. You can read where our shop's name comes from on the about us page.
How to brew it
- 4 g of leaves to 150–200 ml of water
- water at 70°C, no hotter
- 40–60 seconds
- second infusion: 10–15 seconds, third: about a minute
Shincha is more delicate than sencha, so water that's too hot will strip away its sweetness more quickly.
How to store it
Shincha is at its best in the first weeks after the harvest. Keep it tightly sealed, away from light, and drink an opened pack within a month, two at the most. You can keep an unopened pack in the fridge. Before opening it, wait until it has warmed to room temperature.
Pre-order
Shincha is flown in from Japan, and we pack it as soon as it arrives. The number of packs is limited. Sign up for the first harvest pre-order and we'll write to you when it opens. Until then, try the first-harvest Sencha Yabukita.
