Regional Differences in Japan

[Muadeeb]

I happened across this thread, where our immoderate moderator mentioned that there are clear differences among the growing regions in Japan:

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... 4&p=241333

I'm curious how big these differences are, and how to describe the "terroir" of Uji vs. Yame and so on.

I'm not aware of a vendor who has a set of teas designed for a tasting tour through Japan, but I'd be interested in trying it.

[Chip]

Funny I mentioned "melting pot" back then as this phase immediately came to mind as I read your post. I tend to feel this way even more so today.

Still, given a tasting of say ... 10 fairly typical offerings from each region, I still feel there are going to be clusters of same region teas grouped together. But more gray areas perhaps.

I have come to expect certain things from the 4 areas I focus most upon, Uji, Kagoshima, Shizuoka, Yame and therefore have most experience with.

I can over generalize or under depending upon numerous factors, some of which are not even related. My own personal subjectivity seems to ... sway.

[blairswhitaker]

I would say that the biggest difference to me is between all the other teas of japan, and kagoshima teas. but they all do have their own distinctive profiles, though I would wager it has to do with a wide variety of factors but the biggest one being the processing that all these areas do very differently and in their "own way". don't get me wrong i'm sure the soil its self has a very noticeable impact I just think the processing overshadows it. the climate in somewhere like kagoshima is also nearly subtropical while uji is inland and has a very distinct four seasons with no costal effects, and areas of shizuoka have more costal effects, and so on and so forth.

[rdl]

blairswhitaker,
I agree with your assessment. Do you have any insight into something I seemed to have picked up by bits and pieces and so I am not sure is correct. Has Kagoshima been more open to experimenting and not kept to following the traditional methods and all? I thought I read fukamushi tea first came from Kagoshima, or Kyushu. And some new cultivars as well came from there. It's never been clear to me the role of pioneering tea producing in different areas in Kyushu, and I wonder your thoughts.

[Chip]

blairswhitaker,
I agree with your assessment. Do you have any insight into something I seemed to have picked up by bits and pieces and so I am not sure is correct. Has Kagoshima been more open to experimenting and not kept to following the traditional methods and all? I thought I read fukamushi tea first came from Kagoshima, or Kyushu. And some new cultivars as well came from there. It's never been clear to me the role of pioneering tea producing in different areas in Kyushu, and I wonder your thoughts.

I have felt that Kagoshima was quite inventive, breaking the mold. Always going beyond tradition, new cultivars, methods, etc.

On the other hand, Uji seems to be much more traditional, it is even part of their reputation.

This has been going on for years, in fact I remember posting about it years ago on TeaChat. But there seems to me to be growing gray areas lessening the distinctions.

[rdl]

I have felt that Kagoshima was quite inventive, breaking the mold. Always going beyond tradition, new cultivars, methods, etc.
.

Chip,
Do you have any examples? so I can then repeat them as if I knew it all along
Was I correct about fukamushi?

[Peacock]

Florent wrote a excellent article on tea producing area's. Although it doesn't mention much about regional differences, it does inform you about the most popular cultivars in each growing region that may be a factor when drinking teas from distinct areas, especially if you don't know the cultivar that you're drinking.

https://japaneseteasommelier.wordpress. ... ing-areas/