Japanese Tea Cultivars Made Simple

Explore by cultivar collection, comparison chart, single origin or blend.
Japan's benchmark cultivar, on 64% of its tea fields — vegetal and balanced, with clear umami.
Japan's second most planted cultivar and almost entirely a Kagoshima one — the backbone of the earliest shincha.
Bred in Kagoshima for strong umami and almost no astringency, over a vividly green cup.
Late-budding and deep green, with a quiet aroma and gentle sweetness — one of Uji's leading tencha cultivars.
Cold-hardy and high-yielding — concentrated in colour and flavour, with a pronounced astringency.
Nicknamed “natural gyokuro” — sweet and umami-rich even without shading.
The one Japanese cultivar people describe as smelling of milk — out of fashion for decades, back in demand now.
High in amino acids and catechins at once, so sweetness and grip both show up clearly.
The cultivar behind Japan's very first tea of the year, picked on the southern islands from late March.
An Uji classic with a distinctive aroma of its own, long prized for gyokuro and tencha.
An early Shizuoka seedling of Yabukita, now grown in very small quantities.
Uji's competition-grade tencha cultivar — demanding to grow, unmatched in the bowl.
Registered in 1953 and now nearly gone from commercial fields — ours comes from Asamiya in Shiga.
Registered in 2020 and still rare — bred in Miyazaki for a vivid first-flush green.
Bred by NARO specifically for the shade: strong umami, low astringency, a vivid green cup.
A minimalist Nio Shodo light beige brush-stroke style logo or emblem on a solid white background.
100 % sans pesticides
A minimalist Nio Shodo light beige brush-stroke style logo or emblem on a solid white background.
Directement des agriculteurs
A minimalist Nio Shodo light beige brush-stroke style logo or emblem on a solid white background.
Pur et non mélangé
A minimalist Nio Shodo light beige brush-stroke style logo or emblem on a solid white background.
Terroir d'origine unique
A minimalist Nio Shodo light beige brush-stroke style logo or emblem on a solid white background.
Récolte en petits lots
A minimalist Nio Shodo light beige brush-stroke style logo or emblem on a solid white background.
Artisanat japonais authentique
Will Klingner in a light blue long-sleeve shirt leans over a lush green tea plantation, gently touching the young tea leaves in an outdoor field under an overcast sky.

Qu'est-ce qu'un cultivar ?

Un cultivar est une variété de théier sélectionnée pour ses qualités spécifiques : sa précocité de floraison, sa résistance au froid et surtout son goût. Tous les thés présentés sur cette page sont Camellia sinensis , mais les variétés Yabukita , Okumidori et Saemidori sont aussi différentes les unes des autres que deux cépages dans un vignoble. La région de culture, l’ombrage et la transformation influencent également le goût final, c’est pourquoi nous indiquons le cultivar pour chaque thé que nous vendons.

Découvrez nos cultivars de thé

Comparez les profils typiques des cultivars et découvrez nos sources d'approvisionnement. La saveur varie selon la région de culture, l'ombrage, la transformation et l'infusion. Les parts de plantation nationales sont les chiffres du ministère japonais de l'Agriculture, des Forêts et de la Pêche (MAFF) pour 2025 ; lorsqu'aucune donnée nationale n'est publiée, nous le précisons.

 

Typical Taste & Aroma

Nio Sourcing Regions

Share of Japan’s Tea-Growing Area

Yabukita

Balanced umami with fresh green notes

Shizuoka, Chiran, Shibushi, Uji, Miyazaki & 7 more

64%

Yutaka Midori

Assertive alone; deep and umami-rich under shade and a deep steam

Chiran & Kagoshima

7%

Saemidori

Sweet, rich umami with a mellow finish

Shibushi, Kirishima, Yame, Takachiho & 6 more

6%

Okumidori

Fresh, mellow and smooth

Shibushi, Shizuoka, Wazuka, Kyoto, Uji & 3 more

4%

Sayamakaori

Concentrated colour and flavour with a strong fragrance

Shizuoka

2%

Asatsuyu

Naturally sweet, mellow and umami-rich

Chiran, Kagoshima & Shizuoka

About 1%

Kanayamidori

A milk-like, creamy aroma unlike any other Japanese cultivar

Chiran & Miyazaki

About 1%

Asanoka

Pronounced sweetness and pronounced astringency at once

Chiran & Kirishima

No published figure

Kuritawase

Light, clean and fresh, with a floral lift

Tanegashima & Yakushima

No published figure

Gokou

Strong savoury umami and a distinctive aroma

Shizuoka

No published figure

Surugawase

Crisp and clean, with moderate umami and astringency

Uji

No published figure

Asahi

Deep umami with a sweet, creamy finish

Uji, Kyoto

No published figure

Sayamamidori

Little documented; ours is herbal, fruity and nutty

Asamiya, Shiga

No published figure

Haruto 34

Vivid green with a fresh, floral first flush

Shibushi, Kagoshima

No published figure

Seimei

Rich umami with low bitterness and astringency

Shibushi, Kagoshima

No published figure

Thé monoculturel vs. mélanges

L'une met en valeur les caractéristiques d'un cultivar spécifique. L'autre combine des thés pour créer un profil soigneusement équilibré.
Un cultivar

Cultivar unique

Élaboré à partir d'une seule variété de thé, ce thé permet à son goût, son arôme, sa texture et sa finition distinctifs d'être mis en valeur.

Plusieurs cultivars

Mélanges de thé

Les lots sélectionnés sont combinés afin d'équilibrer des qualités telles que la couleur, l'arôme, l'umami et la texture.

Why Buy Your Tea from Nio Teas

No middlemen, no pesticides, no risk.
A dark green shield icon with a white checkmark inside, centered on a light beige circular background with a textured brushstroke border.

30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee

Try it with confidence. If it isn’t right for you, contact us within 30 days.
Join the newsletter and we’ll send you our Matcha Masterclass e-book for free, plus 10% off your first order.
Shipping is free once your order passes the threshold for your country.
A minimalist graphic icon featuring two dark green leaves on a stem, centered within a circular beige background with a textured, distressed border.

100% Pesticide-Free Matcha

Every matcha is grown without pesticides, then personally tasted and selected by our team.
Nous sommes des amateurs de thé, tout comme vous !

Cultiver l' appréciation du thé japonais

A minimalist graphic featuring Nio shodo a light sage green calligraphic character on a warm off-white background.
4 out of 5 stars 4.6

Excellent

Apprécié des amateurs de thé du monde entier

Nos clients nous attribuent la note de 4,6/5 sur Trustpilot, avec d'innombrables avis faisant l'éloge de notre thé, de sa qualité et de notre service.

5 out of 5 stars 5/5
Dans le feu
Nio teas est mon fournisseur préféré de thés de qualité depuis un certain temps, et je n'ai jamais été déçu. Leurs thés sont d'excellente qualité, mais j'aimerais souligner leur service client exceptionnel : l'équipe Nio s'est toujours montrée très aimable et serviable lorsque j'ai rencontré le moindre problème. Leur service client est irréprochable : ils sont très attentifs et répondent rapidement à toutes mes questions, ce qui explique ma fidélité.

1er avril 2026

5 out of 5 stars 5/5
Sean
Mon fournisseur préféré de thés verts bio en vrac du Japon. Ils sélectionnent parmi les meilleurs thés bio du Japon et soutiennent les petits producteurs et l'ensemble du secteur du thé bio, en pleine expansion. J'ai commandé chez différents fournisseurs pendant des années et Nio propose systématiquement les meilleurs prix et le plus grand choix. Leur service client est impeccable et la livraison est rapide. Je recommande vivement ! 🍃

3 février 2026

A minimalist dark green right-pointing arrow centered on a solid, warm off-white background.
Découvrez ce que les gens disent

FAQ

Avant de passer commande

Shipping is free once your order passes the threshold for your country — USD 54.99 · EUR 54.99 · GBP 44.99 · CHF 49.99 · CAD 74.99 · DKK 399 · SEK 599 · PLN 229 · CZK 1,290. Everywhere else it's the equivalent of USD 54.99, converted automatically. Below the threshold a flat rate applies, always shown at checkout before you pay.

We ship from warehouses in the US, the EU and Japan — whichever is closest to you. US and EU orders arrive in 4–12 business days; the handful of countries served from Japan take around 10. Business days count from dispatch rather than from when you order, and exclude weekends and public holidays. You'll get a tracking number by email the moment your parcel leaves the warehouse.

We only buy from fields grown without pesticides or chemicals. We ask each farmer directly how they manage their land, visit the plantation and processing facility ourselves, taste every harvest before committing, and check that the biodiversity around the fields is alive. Small family farms don't always carry paperwork — so we verify it in person instead.

Japanese green tea covers an enormous range, and choosing online isn't easy. If you've tried yours and it isn't for you, email info@nioteas.com within 30 days with your order number and a line on what you didn't enjoy. We'll send a different tea of equal or lower value, free. Nothing to post back — keep it, share it, or try brewing it cooler. Once per order.

Email info@nioteas.com within 30 days with your order number and a photo. We'll approve it, cover the return postage with a prepaid label or a reimbursement, and refund you — no restocking fee. Refunds go to your original payment method within 2 business days of the return reaching us; your bank may take another 5–20 to show it.

Unopened items in their original packaging can be returned within 30 days. Tea is sealed for hygiene, so opened packs can't come back — but the swap above covers exactly that situation. Return postage is yours unless the item arrived damaged, defective or incorrect.

Orders to the US and EU ship domestically from our local warehouse, so there's no customs charge and no duty. A small number of destinations are served from our Japan warehouse, where your own customs authority may apply import duty, VAT or a carrier handling fee on delivery. Those are set by your country, not by us. Ask before you order and we'll help you check.

info@nioteas.com or +41 79 751 83 88. We reply within 2 business days, usually much sooner, in English.

Two men standing outdoors in a tea plantation holding matcha pouches, with a large white warehouse building and blue sky in the background.