Shincha is the first tea of the year, picked from the season's opening flush and sold within weeks of being made. Japanese growers count 88 nights from the start of spring — hachijuhachiya, around the beginning of May — as the traditional moment to harvest. The plant has spent the winter storing amino acids, so the first leaves carry more sweetness and a bright, almost fruity aroma that later harvests never quite match. That aroma is also the reason shincha is drunk young: it fades over the months, and by autumn the same tea has settled into an ordinary sencha. Brew it like a sencha, a touch cooler, and drink it while it is new.
Tea Artisan: Nuruki MitsuoさんKagoshima
This tea is produced by Mrs. Nuruki, a skilled young tea farmer based in Chiran, Kagoshima. Her small farm in southern Japan allows her to work with different tea plant varieties and carefully combine them into balanced blends. For the Shincha Shizuku Chiran 2026, the first-harvest leaves bring extra freshness, brightness and smoothness, while the matcha powder adds body, color and a soft umami depth.
Origin: ChiranJapan
This tea is grown in Chiran, a small town in Kagoshima located near the southern tip of Kyushu. The region benefits from a warm climate, fertile volcanic soils and generations of tea expertise, making it one of Japan’s most important areas for producing fresh, vibrant green tea.
This tea is made from a blend of four Japanese tea cultivars: Yabukita, Asatsuyu, Asanoka and Yutaka Midori. Together, they create a cup that balances freshness, sweetness, umami and a strong green character.
Yabukita: Yabukita is the most common tea cultivar in Japan. It is known for its bold grassy flavor, clear vegetal profile and strong umami structure.
Asatsuyu: Asatsuyu means “clear green” and is appreciated for producing smooth, naturally sweet green teas, even when the plants are not shaded before harvest.
Asanoka is known for adding pleasant sweetness, medium umami and a soft cereal-like or starchy note to the cup, making it useful in balanced tea blends.: Asanoka
Yutaka Midori: Yutaka Midori is Japan’s second most widely grown tea cultivar. Its name means “abundant green,” a fitting reference to the deep color and powerful steamed vegetable flavor it can bring to Japanese green teas.
Preparation & ServingsUp to 42 cups
Hot brew: 5 g of leaves, 150 ml of water at 60°C (140°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: Cold brewing is one of the best ways to enjoy this tea because it extracts less bitterness and brings out a smoother, sweeter profile. Add 5 grams of Shincha Shizuku Chiran 2026 to a pitcher or cup, pour in 150ml of room-temperature or chilled water and let it infuse for 3 hours. When you return, you’ll have a cool, cloudy and refreshing green tea with a vibrant spring character.
One pack: Up to 42 cups · 14 × 5 g servings, 3 infusions each · 70 g / 2.5 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 Shincha's Superfood Power
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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.
•
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 Shincha 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 Shincha
Every Shincha is grown without pesticides, then personally tasted and selected by our team.
How to Make Shincha Like a Pro
Although the Shincha Shizuku Chiran 2026 was created with cold brewing in mind, it can also be prepared beautifully as a hot tea. We’ll first show you how to brew it hot to bring out its fresh umami, and then we’ll explain how to prepare it as a smooth and refreshing cold brew.
Heat the Water
Heat water to 60°C (140°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.
Balanced blends from a small farm in southern Japan.
Farmer: Nuruki Mitsuoさん
Mrs. Nuruki is a skilled and innovative farmer with a small farm in the south of Japan. She cultivates several tea plant varieties and crafts them into blends, combining the finest qualities of each to create well-balanced, distinctive flavours.
Why Organic Shincha 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: 4.8 / 5 from 5 reviews.
Ho comprato diversi Te di Nio ma, ad oggi, questo è il mio preferito. MI piace tutto ma in modo particolare adoro il profumo delle foglie dopo l'infusione, il colore e la consistenza setosa al palato a ogni sorso.
I was excited when this new spring 2026 Shincha became available, Nio Tea's regular Sencha with Matcha has been our daily Go-To cold brew. I will be going through my 300grams first and then start back with the…not sure how many packs are stored away in the dark… Sencha w/Matcha. Nio Teas keeps sending email promotions that are hard to resist so our stock is growing. Luckily in our house one of us likes a strong cold brew (30g/2L) and the other is happy with the second and third.
Thank you Nio Teas! Love the tea and the blogs and videos!
