Gyokuro: Analyzing 444 teas from 72 sellers

Gyokuro is Japan's most prized shaded green tea — bushes covered for three weeks or more before harvest, then steamed like sencha. The extended shading boosts L-theanine and umami, producing a rich, sweet, brothy cup quite unlike everyday sencha.

In our latest data, Japan accounts for 99% of gyokuro with a named origin — especially Kagoshima, Fukuoka, and Kyoto.

Gyokuro needs cooler water and smaller volumes than sencha — the high amino acid content can turn bitter if over-extracted with boiling water.

1. Use 4–5 g of leaf per 60–80 ml of water — gyokuro is brewed concentrated.
2. Heat water to 50–60°C (122–140°F). This is cooler than sencha or kabusecha.
3. Steep 90–120 seconds for the first infusion, then pour off fully.
4. Re-steep two or three times at the same temperature, adding 15–30 seconds per round.

Shading duration and origin prefecture are the key signals. About 33% of what we track names a cultivar and 35% names a producer or garden — Saemidori, Yabukita, and Okumidori appear most often among those that do.

Spring harvest is standard. Look for how long the tea was shaded (often 20 days or more) and whether the seller specifies a single garden or cooperative.

Saemidori, Yabukita, and Okumidori dominate cultivar fields on documented lots. Many titles also reference the prefecture — Kagoshima and Fukuoka appear often alongside Kyoto-style garden names.

Single-estate spring gyokuro sits at the premium end; cooperative or blended lots fill the middle. Use the browse table below to compare shading claims and price per gram.

Japan accounts for 99% of gyokuro with a named origin. Kagoshima, Fukuoka, and Kyoto are the prefectures we see most often.

Some sellers describe traditional shading methods — for example, honzu straw covering rather than modern synthetic nets — and high-elevation gardens in Shizuoka or Kyushu.

Gyokuro typically tastes intensely umami and sweet, with a brothy depth that sets it apart from sencha and kabusecha. Light grassiness appears but stays in the background.

One Okumidori gyokuro from Shizuoka is described as shade-grown for 20–25 days with "intense freshness, grassiness, and umami" — a fair summary of the style at its best.

The defining step is extended shading — often three weeks or more under canopy or straw, blocking most sunlight before a spring harvest. The leaves are then steamed, rolled, and dried like sencha.

One producer notes that "production of gyokuro involves a 10-day period of shading" at minimum, though premium lots often shade longer. Organic certification and garden tradition appear on about 41% of what we track.

Gyokuro mostly sits between $31.75 and $91.71 per 100g, with a median of $43.72 — well above sencha and kabusecha, reflecting the shading labor and limited harvest window.

Sort the browse table by price per gram to compare on equal footing. Shading duration, cultivar, and single-estate origin all push price toward the upper band.