ShiZen Tea
Premium Sencha Green Tea Koshun 1.76 oz (50g)
Premium Sencha Green Tea Koshun 1.76 oz (50g)
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2025 Final Batch — While supplies last
This is the final batch of our 2025 Koshun, a single-cultivar sencha from Honyama, Shizuoka, selected for its fragrant character. It has been stored carefully to preserve its aroma. Best enjoyed by June 30, 2026. We are offering this 2025 batch at a slightly lower price during the transition to the next harvest.
Product Facts
- Origin: Honyama, Shizuoka, Japan
- Producer: Mori Masaaki
- Cultivar: Koshun (single cultivar)
- Style: Premium aromatic sencha
- Net weight: 50g / 1.76 oz (about 16 cups, using 3g per serving)
- Taste profile: Distinct floral aroma, refreshing palate, clean umami finish
- Best for: Tea drinkers who want a fragrant single-cultivar sencha with a clear character of its own
A Fragrant Single-Cultivar Sencha from Honyama, Shizuoka
Koshun is one of the more uncommon sencha cultivars in Japan, planted in only a small share of the country’s tea fields. We chose it because it brews into a cup that you can recognise on aroma alone — a soft, almost floral note that sets it apart from the more familiar Yabukita-style sencha.
This Koshun is grown by Mori Masaaki in Honyama, one of Shizuoka’s respected tea-growing districts. The tea sits at a different angle from a standard everyday sencha: it is a single-cultivar premium sencha, finished to bring out fragrance and cultivar character rather than to disappear into the background.
The cup is bright and refreshing, with a clean umami underneath the aroma. It rewards a careful brew — cooler water and a little patience — and it stays interesting across multiple infusions, which is part of why it works well as a tasting tea rather than a fill-the-kettle daily.
Who This Tea Is For
- For tea drinkers who care about aroma and want a sencha that smells distinctly of itself
- For customers exploring Japanese cultivars beyond Yabukita
- For drinkers who already enjoy Saemidori and want a more fragrant, less umami-heavy counterpart
- For a slow afternoon cup, for comparing a few teas side by side, or as a small treat in a 50g size
- For cold brew, where the floral aroma comes through especially clean
What Makes This Tea Different
- Koshun cultivar: A less common Japanese sencha cultivar known for a distinctly fragrant, slightly floral aroma. The cultivar character is the lead, not a background note.
- Single-cultivar from Honyama: Made by Mori Masaaki from Koshun alone rather than a regional sencha blend, so the cup tastes clearly of one cultivar rather than of the average of several.
- Aromatic, not umami-led: Where Saemidori leads with mellow sweetness and umami, Koshun leads with aroma and a refreshing, clean palate.
- Final batch context: Limited remaining stock of the 2025 harvest, offered at a slightly lower price during the transition to the next harvest.
Taste Profile
- Aroma: Soft floral lift, distinctly Koshun — one of the more recognisable cultivar aromas in Japanese sencha
- Palate: Refreshing, with a clean umami underneath the aroma
- Finish: Light and clean, lingering aroma rather than heavy aftertaste
- Umami: ■■■□□ (3/5)
- Sweetness: ■■■□□ (3/5)
- Bitterness: ■■□□□ (2/5)
- Aroma: ■■■■■ (5/5)
- Body: ■■■□□ (3/5)
Compared with Saemidori, this Koshun is more aromatic and has a clearer cultivar character, while Saemidori is rounder and sweeter on the palate. Compared with everyday Organic Sencha, this Koshun reads as more distinctive and special-occasion — a tea you brew because you want to taste the cultivar, not because you want to fill a cup.
How to Brew Koshun
Hot Brew
- Tea: 3g
- Water: 100ml / 3.4 fl oz
- Temperature: 75 C / 167 F
- Time: 60 seconds
Around 75 C / 167 F is a good starting point for this cultivar — warm enough to lift the aroma, cool enough to keep the cup clean. If you want a softer, more umami-leaning brew, drop the water slightly cooler (around 70 C / 158 F).
Second Infusion
- Water: 80 C / 176 F
- Time: About 15 seconds
Third Infusion
- Water: 85 C / 185 F
- Time: 20 to 30 seconds
Pour until the final drop — in Japanese tea, the last drop often carries the deepest flavour. A white cup helps the pale-green colour show through.
Cold Brew
- Tea: 5g
- Water: 500ml / 17 fl oz
- Time: 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator
Cold brew is one of the best ways to enjoy Koshun. The low temperature highlights the floral aroma and gives a clean, lightly sweet cup with almost no bitterness.
Storage and Freshness
This is a loose-leaf sencha, so it stays at its best when kept sealed, cool, dry, and away from light. We recommend brewing your way through the bag well before the Best enjoyed by June 30, 2026 date, while the aroma is at its brightest. This is the final batch of our 2025 Koshun — we are offering it at a slightly lower price during the transition to the next harvest.
Teas to Try Alongside This One
Koshun is a fragrant, cultivar-led sencha from Honyama, so it pairs naturally with teas that approach Japanese green tea from different angles. These companions help you taste where Koshun sits in the wider range.
- Saemidori: for a softer, sweeter, umami-led premium sencha from Kagoshima — the natural counterpart to Koshun’s aromatic profile.
- Hoshino Shizuku 2026 First Pick: for a mountain-grown premium sencha from Yame Hoshinomura, with a deeper, more layered character.
- Organic Sencha: for a clean, refreshing everyday sencha from Kawane, Shizuoka.
- Organic Gyokuro: for a shaded, umami-led green tea with a more concentrated brewing style.
Shipping from Japan
This tea ships directly from Japan. If you are ordering from overseas, it often makes sense to bring several teas together — this Koshun sits very naturally alongside a softer premium sencha (Saemidori), an everyday organic cup, and a matcha or gyokuro to taste the full range of Japanese green tea side by side.
Comparison FAQ
How is Koshun different from Saemidori?
Koshun is more aromatic and distinctive, with a clearer cultivar character. Saemidori is rounder, sweeter, and easier to drink. Choose Koshun for fragrance, and Saemidori for mellow umami.
How is Koshun different from Organic Sencha?
Organic Sencha is a clean, everyday Kawane sencha with an organic label — the bag you reach for in the morning. Koshun is a single-cultivar premium sencha from Honyama with a much more pronounced floral aroma. Choose Organic Sencha for daily drinking, and Koshun when you want the cup to taste of the cultivar.
How is Koshun different from Hoshino Shizuku?
Hoshino Shizuku is a mountain-grown premium sencha from Yame Hoshinomura with a deeper, more layered character. Koshun is a Honyama sencha that is brighter and more aromatic, with the cultivar fragrance forward. Both are premium sencha, but they express very different landscapes.
Is this tea organic?
No. This Koshun does not carry an organic label as a finished product. For Japanese green tea that does, see our Organic Sencha or Organic Matcha.
Can I cold brew this tea?
Yes. Use 5g of tea with 500ml of cold water and steep in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours. Cold brew is one of the best ways to enjoy Koshun — the low temperature highlights the floral aroma and gives a clean, lightly sweet cup.
FAQ
Q. How soon will my order be shipped?
A. We typically ship orders within 1-3 business days. In the rare event that an item is out of stock, it may take longer. If that happens, we will contact you directly to discuss the options.
Q. What is your return policy?
A. If there is a quality issue, damage, defect, or wrong item, please contact us within 30 days so we can arrange a refund or replacement. Unopened tea in its original factory-sealed package and unused tea ware can be returned within 14 days. Opened tea cannot be returned for food-safety reasons. Orders can be cancelled before shipment. Please see our Refund Policy for the full terms.
Q. Is this tea organic?
A. This tea is not certified organic. It is produced in Japan under Japanese agricultural standards. If you are looking specifically for certified organic tea, we recommend our Organic Sencha or Organic Matcha.
Q. Will I have to pay customs and import taxes?
A. For U.S. orders, import duties and related charges are currently handled by ShiZen Tea when applicable, so you should not normally be asked to pay customs charges on delivery. For other countries, customs duties, import taxes, or local fees may vary depending on your country's regulations and may be charged to the buyer. Please check with your local customs authority if you are unsure.
Q. Can I track my order?
A. Yes, tracking is available for all orders. Once your order has been shipped, you will receive a confirmation email containing your tracking number and a link to track your package.
Q. How much caffeine does this tea contain?
A. Yes. Like other Japanese green teas, this tea contains caffeine. The exact amount can vary depending on the tea amount, water temperature, and steeping time. If you are sensitive to caffeine, we recommend enjoying it earlier in the day.
Q. How should I store the tea?
A. Please store the tea in a cool, dark place, away from heat, humidity, and direct sunlight. After opening, seal the package tightly and enjoy it as soon as possible, while the aroma is still fresh.
Q. What payment methods do you accept?
A. We accept all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express) as well as PayPal.