Sencha is the tea most Japanese households drink every day, and it accounts for the large majority of the country's green tea production. The leaves are grown in full sun, then steamed within hours of picking to stop oxidation before it starts — the step that separates Japanese green tea from Chinese pan-fired styles. Rolling and drying follow, shaping the leaf into the thin dark needles you see in the bag. In the cup it is fresh and grassy with a clean astringency, and the balance shifts with the water: cooler water pulls the sweetness and umami forward, hotter water brings out the briskness. One portion of leaf will give you two or three good infusions, each a little different from the last.
Tea Artisan: HentaさんKagoshima
Mr. Henta, a skilled farmer from Kirishima, Japan, is the producer behind the henta asanoka tea. During our first meeting, he shared an abundance of knowledge regarding the intricacies of different tea plant species, also called cultivars.
What interested us was his vast comprehension of the diverse tea plant cultivars, each with its own characteristic flavors and growth patterns.
Despite operating on a small plot of land, Mr. Henta produces a total of 8 different tea plant varieties. He has become quite good at blending these cultivars to extract the best attributes of each one, creating each of his distinctive green tea blends.
Origin: KirishimaJapan
Kirishima, a southern region in Japan, is the birthplace of the Henta sencha asanoka. In contrast to the frigid winter weather prevalent in central Japan, Kirishima enjoys a mild subtropical climate. Consequently, it is simpler to cultivate more delicate tea plant species that produce intricate and sweet green teas like this one.
Cultivar: AsanokaTea variety
As the name would suggest, the Henta Asanoka Sencha is made from the Asanoka cultivar. This tea plant is one of the more rare Japanese tea plant varieties, but it can produce delicious green teas.
Asanoka: Asanoka
Preparation & ServingsUp to 60 cups
Hot brew: 5 g of leaves, 150 ml of water at 70°C (158°F), 1 minute.
Brew it again: the same leaves give 3 infusions. Re-infuse 2 more times with water at the same temperature, 20 seconds each; every infusion tastes a little different.
Cold brew: Not only is the henta sencha asanoka a delicious choice for a hot cup of tea, but it also makes an excellent cold brew. To learn more about how to cold brew green tea, visit our blog and read the complete article.
One pack: Up to 60 cups · 20 × 5 g servings, 3 infusions each · 100 g / 3.5 oz.
Why choose Nio Teas?
For us, tea is more than a beverage, it’s a way of life. We’ve spent years visiting tea farms across Japan, tasting teas with the people who grow them and building lasting, direct relationships. We believe this is the most sustainable way to source tea: fewer intermediaries, greater traceability and a closer connection between farmer and drinker.
Every tea is 100% pesticide-free and carefully selected for its taste, origin and craftsmanship. Whether you’re discovering Japanese tea or comparing cultivars and terroirs, you’ll find honest tasting notes, precise brewing guidance and real support to help you get the best from every cup.
Typical values per 100 ml of brewed tea, from the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (MEXT, 8th edition), sencha infusion (food no. 16037; 10 g leaf, 430 ml water at 90°C, 1 min). Values in your cup vary with the leaf, the water and the brewing time.
Complete Your Tea RitualNo Kyusu at home? No problem!
100% Pesticide-FreeDirect from FarmersPure & UnblendedSingle-Origin TerroirSmall-Batch HarvestAuthentic Japanese Craft
Unveiling Sencha's Superfood Power
•
Caffeine
Natural caffeine for a gentle, sustained lift.
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Antioxidants
Rich in catechins and other naturally occurring antioxidants.
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Chlorophyll
Naturally rich in chlorophyll, the pigment behind matcha’s vibrant green colour.
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Potassium & Calcium
Naturally occurring minerals that contribute to matcha’s nutritional profile.
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L-theanine
An amino acid naturally found in tea, associated with a calm, focused feeling.
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Vitamins A, C, E & K
Contains a range of vitamins naturally present in the whole tea leaf.
Why Buy Your Sencha from Nio Teas
No middlemen, no pesticides, no risk.
30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee
Try it with confidence. If it isn’t right for you, contact us within 30 days.
15 Japanese Tea Farmers
Our tea brings together the craft and regional expertise of 15 partner farmers across Japan.
Direct from Farmer to Cup
We build lasting relationships with our farmers for fewer intermediaries and greater traceability.
100% Pesticide-Free Sencha
Every Sencha is grown without pesticides, then personally tasted and selected by our team.
How to Make Sencha Like a Pro
To prepare the sencha asanoka, you can use a lower temperature water and a relatively short brewing time. 1 minute should be just enough time for the tea leaves to open up fully and release their flavor into the water.
Heat the Water
Heat water to 70°C (158°F).
Add the Leaves
Add 5 g of leaves to a kyusu teapot.
Steep
Pour 150 ml of water and steep for 1 minute.
Pour & Brew Again
Pour out every drop, then brew the same leaves 2 more times (20 seconds each).
Loose Leaf Tea Over Teabags
Rich in Flavor, Not in Microplastics.
Delicate cultivars from Kirishima's mild climate.
Farmer: Hentaさん
Mr. Henta grows tea in Southern Japan's Kirishima region. Its mild, subtropical climate, warmer than the colder winters of central Japan, allows delicate tea plant varieties to yield more complex and sweet green teas.
Why Organic Sencha Fields Make a Difference
Tea plants absorb everything from the soil, making pesticide-free farming especially important. The farmers we work with have found a way to grow delicious tea without harming the natural ecosystem.
Nio teas has been my favourite place to purchase good quality teas for a while now, and still they never disappoint me. Their teas are excellent quality, however, I’d like to give more attention to customer service - Nio team has been very kind and helpful each time I had any sort of problem. Their customer service never disappoints, they are very attentive and quick in responding to any queries, hence why I’ve been a loyal customer for a while now.
Apr 1, 2026
5 out of 5 stars
5/5
Sean
My favorite vendor for Japanese organic loose leaf green teas. They are sourcing some of the best organic teas out of Japan and supporting family farmers and the growing organic tea industry as a whole.I have ordered from every vendor for years and Nio consistently has the best prices and selection overall. They provide top notch customer service and fast shipping as well. Highly recommended 🍃
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.
Customer Reviews
Overall rating: 4.9 / 5 from 66 reviews.
This is, currently, my favorite Sencha. It has the full smell of the seashore while I enjoy it's thick texture. You can brew at 155f for a bit of nuttiness, or 165f for more grass. Wonderful tea, at a great price-point.
Dieser grünttee + ich, wir verstehen uns nicht optimal: er präsentiert sich mir nahezu aromalos. Lasse ich ihn etwas länger ziehen, kippt er grad ins Bittere. Ebenso bei nur leicht höherer Dosierung.
Wir finden einfach nicht zueinander. 😭
This tea has a nice vegetal quality to it and a nice balance of sweet, astringent & bitter. The taste lasts quite a long time on the tongue too. For the price I recently paid for its very good.
I absolutely love this tea. It’s more umami and thick than a lot of green teas, which makes a really comforting tea. The flavor is more delicate and sweet on the second steep. Super high caffeine content and beautiful green color too.
Best sencha from Mr. Henta! I've tried Saemidori and Okumidori cultivar from Henta San, but Asanoka is the best for me. First infusion is more grassy, minty with a hint of nutty flavour and sweet , yellow green colour. Second infusion is more earthy, nutty more astringent taste, raw green colour.
Asanoka - fragrance of the morning as they say in Japan. Excellent and refreshing tea!
Thanks Nio Teas!
Tasting and aroma notes detected in different phases of Tasting:
Dry leaf - kelloggs red berries cereal, banana flower, sticky rice dumplings, dried apricot, honey granola bar, cucumber peel, steamed tenderstem brocoli, tomato vines, freeze dried strawberries.
Wet leaf - similar to dry leaf except more intense on the sour aroma notes with an additional note of dried seaweed and toasted sesame seeds and white soy arare.
Texture - thick, warming, lingers for a while
Taste - much more umami and savoury than the most recent sencha sample I tried. Has notes of tonkotsu broth, black sesame seeds, freshly steamed baozi, white soy arare and wakame seaweed, lovage and chicory.
This is one for the people who love a more brothy, umami and savoury heavy sencha. A little trickier to brew if you want it strong without oversteeping but with more Japanese greens it's best to stick to a lower temperature of 60⁰C - 65⁰C. I also like that this particular sample yielded at least 6 or 7 good infusions in comparison to the Chiran Shizuku sencha I tried from Nio, nothing wrong with a short tea session and getting 2 or 3 very strong brews (I've heard that it's very common to discard the leaves after 2 or 3), but personally I think it's better value for your money when a tea can give you a little more than that, so you can enjoy it for longer. This might be one of my favourite samples so far.😌🫶🏻
This one has a lot of vegetal and umami notes early on with a refreshing, fruity aftertaste. As always, I adore the vibrant green liquor. For this tea I followed the brewing guide, and it was just about perfect, but a little hotter water wouldn't hurt. Excellent tea!
Tea leaves are automatically more delicate looking. Also smells fruity and bright. So the lower brewing temp makes a lot of sense.
5 grams, 60℃, 60 seconds. Infusion 1: beautiful glow in the liquor. Gentle but assertive attack, with nice high notes. This is a lovely tea. Grassy. Slight umami this spirals down into a warm sweetness. 2nd infusion: the liquor color deepens and the pour slows in the teapot, as usually happens with Japanese teas. Fruity notes wake up in the second infusion. There's a sort of bright, chocolatey high note. Third infusion is that comically deep green, which comes out in a trickle. Rich and deep aftertaste.
The Henta Asanoka is my current favorite from Nio teas (out of 5 tried) and it's quite reasonably priced. This one is vegetal, with the amazing ocean aroma I remember from my first good sencha many years ago, and no nuttiness. Solid and a great daily drinker.
I really like the flavor of this sencha tea. I've tried the Fukamushi Sencha Kagoshima Murasaki earlier and loved it. While the flavor is different it is really good.
Good sencha. More umami, less grass than others I've tried; not a good nor bad thing from my perspective, just an observation for others looking to pick out a Sencha from Nio's lineup.
First-rate website with clean design, easy ordering process. Excellent product. Good job keeping me informed on order and delivery status. Will definitely use again.
