Matcha Cultivars: Japanese Tea Varieties, Harvest & Tencha Guide
Matcha
Cultivars.
The tea plant behind the powder.
Yabukita. Okumidori. Samidori. Gokou. Asahi. These names are not Matcha grades. They are cultivars — cultivated varieties of Camellia sinensis. Understanding cultivar tells us where to begin, not whether a Matcha is automatically good.
What is a tea cultivar?
A cultivar is a selected and propagated variety of the tea plant with a recognisable genetic identity.
Think about apples. Fuji, Gala and Granny Smith are all apples, but they do not grow or taste exactly the same. Tea works in a similar way. Yabukita, Saemidori, Okumidori and Asahi are all Camellia sinensis, but they are different cultivars.
In modern Japanese tea cultivation, named cultivars are commonly propagated by cuttings so selected characteristics can be reproduced more consistently. This differs from zairai seed-grown populations, where individual plants show greater genetic variation.
The tea species.
The genetic identity of a cultivated tea plant.
A tea created through cultivation and processing.
A famous cultivar may have strong potential, but farm conditions, shading, harvest, Tencha processing, storage and milling still determine what reaches the bowl.
Japan has more than 130 tea cultivars.
Current MAFF educational material, produced with expertise from the Kyoto Prefectural Tea Research Institute, explains that Japan now has more than 130 tea cultivars. Matcha therefore cannot be understood as a list of only eight or nine cultivar names.
Not every Japanese cultivar is a Matcha cultivar.
Cultivars are selected for different climates, harvest windows and styles of tea. The cultivar and the tea type are two different things.
Japanese cultivars can be used across Sencha, covered teas such as Gyokuro and Tencha, Kamairicha and Japanese black tea. Some cultivars have a particularly strong documented relationship with Tencha; others are important to Japanese tea more broadly.
Steamed and rolled leaf tea. Yabukita and many other cultivars are widely used.
Covered cultivation. Kyoto developed several cultivars specifically around premium shaded tea.
Pan-fired Japanese green tea, especially associated with parts of Kyushu.
Cultivars such as Benifuki were bred with black-tea production in mind.
Cultivar ≠ tea type
Which tea plant?
Shaded, steamed and dried without Sencha-style rolling.
Refined Tencha milled into fine powder.
Early, mid-season or late?
Cultivar choice is also a farming decision.
Japanese growers classify cultivars by the timing of bud break and harvest. Yabukita is commonly used as a mid-season reference. Earlier cultivars can help growers reach market sooner, while later cultivars can spread the harvest workload and, in some locations, reduce exposure to damaging spring frost.
These labels are relative, not fixed calendar dates. Actual harvest changes with latitude, elevation, annual weather and farm management.
Same cultivar.
Different place.
Different expression.
Cultivar gives genetic potential. Region, climate, shading, harvest and processing determine how that potential is expressed. This is why an Okumidori from Yame should not be assumed to taste the same as an Okumidori grown elsewhere.
Which cultivars matter for Matcha?
A better question than “What are the Matcha cultivars?” is: which cultivars have documented relevance to Tencha and covered-tea production?
Kyoto · strong Tencha relationship
Official Kyoto researchKyoto classifies Asahi as a major Tencha cultivar and describes its Tencha quality as particularly excellent. It has a strong relationship with high-end and competition Tencha.
TenchaA Kyoto cultivar with strong covered-tea history. Kyoto research identifies excellent Tencha quality, including colour and aroma/flavour performance.
TenchaA Kyoto cultivar used in premium covered teas. Official material recognises it for Tencha as well as Gyokuro.
Tencha · GyokuroRegistered in 2006 and developed in Kyoto with mechanically harvested Tencha production in mind, combining productivity with high-quality covered-tea characteristics.
TenchaModern / broader Tencha relevance
Context mattersA late cultivar important across Japanese green tea and increasingly encountered in covered tea and Matcha. Kyoto trial work has also found strong Tencha suitability.
Covered tea · TenchaA newer NARO cultivar developed for strong performance under covered cultivation. NARO specifically identifies it as suitable for Matcha and powdered tea.
Matcha · powdered teaAn early cultivar known for vivid colour and quality in high-grade green tea. It is used in covered tea as well as Sencha, particularly in southern Japan.
Sencha · covered teaJapan's dominant benchmark cultivar. It is not “the Matcha cultivar,” but it can also be used for Tencha and gives useful comparison context.
Japan-wide benchmarkGokou needs nuance
Covered tea ≠ only TenchaKyoto's official cultivar material places Gokou primarily among Gyokuro cultivars, while modern producers may also sell Gokou Matcha. Historical cultivar identity and present commercial use are not always identical.
Other important Japanese tea cultivars
Kanayamidori, Yutakamidori, Sayamakaori, Asatsuyu, Tsuyuhikari, Okuhikari and Benifuki are useful for understanding the wider Japanese cultivar landscape. Their importance to Japanese tea should not automatically be read as equal importance to Matcha.
First crop, second crop, third crop.
The tea plant keeps growing after the spring harvest. Cultivar tells us part of the timing; season tells us which growth we are tasting.
The first new growth harvested in the year. “Shincha” commonly refers to tea from this first spring crop. In Uji, first-harvest material from late April through late May is especially important for premium Gyokuro and Tencha.
The second crop follows the first after regrowth. Exact dates vary by region, cultivar and weather.
A later summer crop in regions that take a third harvest. Strong summer light can contribute to more catechin and a firmer bitter/astringent structure.
What about Hachijuhachiya?
Hachijuhachiya means the 88th day after Risshun, the traditional beginning of spring in the old Japanese calendar. It falls around early May and remains an important cultural reference for the tea-harvest season. It is not a universal scientific quality grade.
Spring material can be highly desirable, but cultivar, field condition, shading, plucking, Tencha processing and storage still need to make sense together.
Which part of the plant is picked?
Harvest quality is not only about the date. Leaf maturity and the part of the shoot that is taken also matter.
Isshin niyō (一芯二葉) is a representative hand-plucking standard used for fine Japanese tea. It focuses on young, tender growth rather than a larger amount of mature leaf.
As more mature leaves are included, yield increases but the chemical and sensory balance of the raw leaf changes. Mechanised harvest does not automatically mean low quality; the relevant question is how the field, cultivar and harvesting system were designed for the intended tea.
Harvest timing changes what is in the leaf.
The teaching charts you shared make an important point: first crop and later summer crops do not have the same chemical balance.
Premium spring material is often valued for tenderness and a stronger amino-acid / umami orientation, especially when combined with covered cultivation.
Under stronger summer light, later crops often show more catechin contribution and a stronger bitter/astringent structure.
Cultivar, shading, weather, nitrogen management and processing can all change the final chemistry. Season alone does not predict the bowl.
How to read older chemistry graphs
The exact values in historical teaching graphs should not be treated as universal numbers for every Matcha. They are best used to understand the direction of change: leaf maturity and season alter the balance of amino acids, catechins and sensory structure.
Common cultivar questions.
What is a Matcha cultivar?
A Matcha cultivar is a tea cultivar used to produce the leaf material that becomes Tencha and then Matcha. Cultivar describes the tea plant, not a Matcha grade.
What is the best cultivar for Matcha?
There is no single best cultivar. Asahi, Samidori, Ujihikari, Okumidori, Seimei and others can all produce excellent Matcha when cultivation, processing and intended use are right.
Is Gokou a Matcha cultivar?
Gokou is an important Kyoto covered-tea cultivar historically associated especially with Gyokuro. It is also encountered in modern Matcha. The nuance matters more than forcing it into one category.
Is first-harvest Matcha always better?
No. First harvest is meaningful information about season and leaf maturity, but it does not replace evaluation of cultivar, shading, processing, freshness and sensory quality.
Is single-cultivar Matcha higher quality?
No. Single cultivar describes composition. Skilled blending can create balance, consistency, aroma and texture. Quality has to be evaluated separately.