Beyond Matcha: A Complete Guide to Japanese Tea Types
The big picture: what's sencha, gyokuro, hojicha, genmaicha, bancha and wakocha — and how to choose between them.
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Beyond Matcha
Discover the World of Japanese Tea
Matcha is just the beginning. From the grassy sweetness of sencha to the roasted warmth of hojicha, explore the teas that Japan drinks every day.
The Six Teas of Japan
Almost all Japanese tea starts from the same plant — Camellia sinensis. What changes is how the leaves are grown, steamed, and finished.
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Sencha
Japan's everyday green tea — grassy, bright, refreshing.
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Gyokuro
Shade-grown luxury, deeply umami and sweet.
🔥
Hojicha
Roasted, low-caffeine, caramel-toasty comfort tea.
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Genmaicha
Green tea blended with roasted brown rice.
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Bancha
Mature leaves, mellow, low caffeine, great for every day.
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Wakocha
Japan's own black tea — gentle, fruity, honey-soft.
Start Here
Our ten essential reads for anyone new to Japanese tea.
Sencha vs Matcha: What's the Difference?
They come from the same plant, but they're made and tasted in very different ways. Here's how to tell them apart.
Read comparison →How to Brew Gyokuro
Gyokuro rewards patience. A step-by-step method, with temperatures, times and leaf ratios that actually work at home.
Read brewing guide →The Best Hojicha to Try in 2026
From everyday houjicha to small-batch stone-roasted leaves — the brands we keep coming back to.
See picks →The Best Sencha to Buy in 2026
Three senchas we point people to first — everyday Kyoto, classic Shizuoka, and deep-steamed.
Read picks →The Best Gyokuro to Buy in 2026
One to learn on, one traditional Yame, and the karigane that gets you most of the flavour for half the price.
Read picks →The Best Wakocha to Buy in 2026
Japan's own black tea — three producers to start with, and how to brew it.
Read picks →The Best Bancha to Buy in 2026
The everyday tea: a refined Kyoto blend, the smoky kyobancha, and the teabag everyone drinks.
Read picks →The Best Genmaicha to Buy in 2026
The friendliest Japanese tea — classic, Kyoto kukicha, and matcha-iri.
Read picks →Brewing Temperature Chart
Japanese green tea is unforgiving to boiling water. Cool it down — the flavour you get back is worth it.
| Tea | Water | Steep | Leaf (per 100 ml) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gyokuro | 50 °C / 122 °F | 2 min | 3 g |
| Sencha (premium) | 70 °C / 158 °F | 60–90 s | 2 g |
| Sencha (everyday) | 80 °C / 176 °F | 45–60 s | 2 g |
| Bancha | 90 °C / 194 °F | 30 s | 2 g |
| Hojicha | 95 °C / 203 °F | 30 s | 3 g |
| Genmaicha | 90 °C / 194 °F | 30 s | 3 g |
| Wakocha | 95 °C / 203 °F | 2–3 min | 2.5 g |
Explore by Region
Like wine, Japanese tea has a terroir. A Uji gyokuro tastes nothing like a Kagoshima sencha.
Taste authentic Japanese tea
Our favourite leaves, sourced from Kyoto, Shizuoka and Kyushu — shipped worldwide.
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