What this site is
Nihoncha Guide is a multilingual guide to Japanese tea. We write about sencha, gyokuro, hojicha, genmaicha, bancha and wakocha — the teas that Japanese people actually drink at home, at work, and with their meals. We cover the regions they come from (Uji, Shizuoka, Yame, Chiran and more), how to brew them, and which brands are worth buying from abroad.
Why "Beyond Matcha"
Matcha is wonderful. But it's 3% of Japanese tea consumption, and by far the best-known example outside Japan. In English, French and German there's very little practical writing about everything else — the teas a Kyoto resident would actually drink between breakfast and bedtime. We want to close that gap.
Who we write for
Tea lovers, home brewers, wellness-curious readers, and anyone who has tried matcha and wondered what the next step is. No tea-sommelier vocabulary required.
How this site makes money
Some of our product links are affiliate links — if you buy a tea or a kyusu through one of them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we have actually tasted or used. Display advertising may be added later. We don't accept payment from brands in exchange for coverage.
Languages
Nihoncha Guide publishes in English, French, and German. Japanese-language sourcing is done directly from producer sites, regional tea associations and the Japanese tea press.
Contact
Found an error? Tasted a tea we should cover? Reach out at hello@nihoncha-guide.com.