Shincha Native Hiroshima Seicha - Naturally Cultivated First Flush Green Tea by TEA FACTORY GEN 20g/0.70 oz

TEA FACTORY GEN is a tea atelier based in the Sera Highlands of Hiroshima, Japan.
They honor nature and tradition, producing tea through a fully integrated process using no chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

Hiroshima native(zairai) tea

"Native tea" is tea planted and grown from seeds, and is a valuable tea that is said to account for only 3% of all tea in circulation.

Their native tea is 60 to 70 years old. The roots extend more than 2 meters deep into the ground, providing nutrients from the ground that are rich in minerals.

Additionally, because it is grown without fertilizers or pesticides, the tea may lack the concentrated umami typically prized in gyokuro.

However, it offers something even more essential: the natural sweetness of the leaf, a clean, refreshing flavor, and the untamed vitality of the land itself.

Hiroshima Zairai – Seicha (清茶)

This Shincha tea was harvested and processed in May 2025.
The concept behind Seicha is: “A Japanese tea that is not quite Japanese tea.”

While most Japanese green teas do not include it, they incorporate withering—a crucial step in oolong and black tea production.
After withering, they apply steaming, which is the most important step in traditional Japanese tea making.

However, they intentionally avoid using conventional machines typically used in sencha production, such as rough-rolling and fine-rolling machines.
Instead, they finish the tea using their own unique method.

Because of this distinctive process, the tea is steamed but not called “sencha.”
Instead, they named it Seicha, meaning “pure tea.”

The aroma is bright and refreshing, with subtle spicy notes reminiscent of Japanese sansho pepper.
Thanks to natural cultivation, the tea is light and easy to drink—almost like water.

They chose not to follow traditional sencha processing because withering reduces the moisture content of the leaves by over 30%,
and they believed that further rolling would strip away the delicate floral aroma.

When hot water is poured over the leaves, a beautifully complex and comforting floral fragrance unfolds.
They invite you to enjoy this unique sensory experience.

How Seicha Differs from Standard Sencha

Since the leaves are not heavily rolled, the cellular structure remains intact.
As a result, the tea does not become overly bitter, even when steeped in boiling water.

It can be easily brewed using boiling water, making preparation simple and stress-free.

The tea can also be aged over time, with its flavor and aroma evolving slowly—
allowing you to enjoy its transformation with each tasting.

Recommend way
How to drink?

Hot Brew
Use 2g of tea leaves per 100ml of boiling water.
Steep for 1 minute.

Second Infusion
Steep for 30 seconds with boiling water.

Third Infusion
Steep for at least 3 minutes with boiling water.

Cold Brew
Use 5g of tea leaves per 500ml of cold water.
Let steep in the refrigerator overnight.
After enjoying it cold, you can reuse the same leaves one more time by adding boiling water.