{"title":"Japan","description":"\n","products":[{"product_id":"house-matcha","title":"Kodemari Matcha","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCascading orbs of white flowers, brilliantly contrasted against a blue sky—an image that calls to mind the most essential elements of the tea ceremony. This is Kodemari, our house matcha. It’s made for whisking, mixing, shaking, baking and whatever you can dream of doing. Kodemari was expertly blended by the Yamaguchi family in Yame—some of the most respected and decorated producers in the archipelago. With matcha, tea plants are shaded to instill amino acids, chlorophyll and umami taste. Both the finishing bake and milling processes are closely guarded secrets of the Yamaguchi family. This matcha is great for blending, but also delicious enjoyed on its own.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tier 1","offers":[{"title":"50g Retail Package","offer_id":43113571680479,"sku":"kodem_match_tier1_00050","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"100g","offer_id":43123211993311,"sku":"kodem_match_tier1_00100","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/KODEMARI7650.jpg?v=1706301630"},{"product_id":"kodama-sencha","title":"Kodama Sencha","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":769,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"11\":4,\"12\":0}' data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Sencha is the beating heart of infused tea in Japan. The name itself means “steeped tea”—a testament to its ubiquity: the entire style emerged from a desire for everydayness. Beyond the beauty and refinement of chanoyu there was a need for the cup of tea that finds us when we first sit down; when we greet our guests. The Kodama Sencha is named for the protective tree spirits of Japanese folklore. It is a proprietary blend of summer and spring harvests and its signature hiire finishing is a closely guarded family secret. Expect the deep, expressive umami typical of Fukuoka teas, complemented by vibrant, fresh aroma and a lustrous green infusion.\"}'\u003eSencha is the beating heart of infused tea in Japan. The name itself means “steeped tea”—a testament to its ubiquity: the entire style emerged from a desire for everydayness. Beyond the beauty and refinement of chanoyu there was a need for the cup of tea that finds us when we first sit down; when we greet our guests. The Kodama Sencha is named for the protective tree spirits of Japanese folklore. It is a proprietary blend of summer and spring harvests and its signature hiire finishing is a closely guarded family secret. Expect the deep, expressive umami typical of Fukuoka teas, complemented by vibrant, fresh aroma and a lustrous green infusion. \u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tier 1","offers":[{"title":"50g Retail Package","offer_id":43180627591391,"sku":"kodas_green_tier1_00050","price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250g","offer_id":43113571942623,"sku":"kodas_green_tier1_00250","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/KODAMASENCHA7631.jpg?v=1706301553"},{"product_id":"mr-kobayashis-kakuun-matcha","title":"Mr. Kobayashi's Kakuun Ceremonial Matcha","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe volcanic soil and river-rich region of Uji makes its topography, and particularly its matcha, a cultural titan: the birthplace of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eoishita saibai,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e or covering tea bushes in shade, has made its pine-green, amino acid-laden leaves a benchmark in Japanese tea production and history. Kobayashi san, a lauded level ten tea master and Kyoto native, embodies the region’s tea traditions of past and present perfectly. Impeccably smooth, lusciously creamy, and expertly balanced between sweet and savory, Kakuun is a matcha supreme and an experience divine. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tier 4","offers":[{"title":"40g tin","offer_id":43113572139231,"sku":"kobam_match_tier4_00040","price":95.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/MRKOBAYASHIKAKUUN7652.jpg?v=1706301903"},{"product_id":"koushun-black","title":"Koushun Black","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMichio Hanamizu was a businessman in Tokyo when he met his wife: the daughter of a tea producer and smallholder of a 70-year-old farm in Ibaraki. His father-in-law was set to retire and sell the land, until Hanamizu quit his job and offered to take over. Initially data-driven in his production methods, Hanamizu converted to “making tea with the five senses” after visits to black tea producers in China and Taiwan. Hot summers, cold winters and the fertile soil between the Kinu and Tone rivers, nurture Sashima.\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Tier 3","offers":[{"title":"50g Retail Package","offer_id":44364626100447,"sku":"koush-black_black_tier3_50","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250g","offer_id":44364626133215,"sku":"koush-black_black_tier3_250","price":110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/KOUSHUN-BLACK-0118_WW.jpg?v=1695066788"},{"product_id":"la-kouju","title":"La Kouju","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eThis single variety ‘Kouju’ comes from native seedlings in the Hon Yama region of Shizuoka. La Kouju is an experimental process wherein ‘Kouju’ leaves incubate in a blended mixture of their fellow leaves. Mr. Yamanashi uses this patented method to organically inspire the aromas of the variety. He selects\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ekamairicha\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(pan-fired) process as the base material because the low cooking temperatures preserve the innate enzymatic properties of the leaf better than the heat of traditional\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003esassei\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e(steamed tea). Batches are placed into an incubator and left to ferment, creating sweet and intricate flavor.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Tier 3","offers":[{"title":"50g Retail Package","offer_id":44447617089759,"sku":"lakou_green_tier3_50","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250g","offer_id":44447617122527,"sku":"lakou_green_tier3_250","price":110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/LaKouju5837.jpg?v=1699470055"},{"product_id":"yame-no-hana","title":"Yame No Hana","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIf the Yamaguchi’s Kodemari is the standard we wish to see for present-day American matcha culture, Yame no Hana is our wish for its near future. A stonemilled ceremonial matcha suitable for sipping and contemplating neat, Yame no Hana is a shining example of the blending mastery of Shinya Yamaguchi. Shinya san is the youngest person to ever receive the pinnacle 10-dan certification in tea blending and appraisal in Japan. Plants are shaded for 3-4 weeks, dehydrated and deveined, blended, and then stonemilled into a floral, resplendent matcha.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e","brand":"Tier 2","offers":[{"title":"50g","offer_id":47540545650911,"sku":"yamen_match_tier2_00050","price":73.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"100g","offer_id":44543964217567,"sku":"yamen_match_tier2_00100","price":131.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/YameMatcha5847.jpg?v=1699466288"},{"product_id":"then-and-now-ceremonial-matcha-今昔-1","title":"Then And Now Ceremonial Matcha 今昔","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn an inconstant world, continuity is unlikely. But for some, including\u003cstrong\u003e Grand Master Kobayashi\u003c\/strong\u003e, whose family has been producing tea in Uji since 1827 by thousand-year-old traditional methods, we are offered a living glimpse into the past. Kobayashi named this \u003cspan class=\"il\"\u003ematcha\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e combining the characters for \"the present\" and \"a long time ago\". Mouthwatering umami and crisp floral sweetness make this great for all-occasion sipping: in milk, neat, or in bubbles. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tier 1","offers":[{"title":"50g Retail Package","offer_id":46709810626783,"sku":"tncer_match_tier1_00050","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"100g","offer_id":46709816197343,"sku":"tncer_match_tier1_00100","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/THENANDNOW-9214_WW.jpg?v=1737663653"},{"product_id":"gekkou-matcha","title":"Gekkou Matcha","description":"Visit the Nishide's headquarters and you will find three generations--not in spirit, not in legacy--working side by side. The family's melding of expertise in craft and sincerity in ethos is a coupling that is rarely found stronger, even in Uji. Shade grown for four weeks in Okunoyama, the soft blue-green tencha leaves of Gekkou (Moonlight) are entirely stone milled in house. In the matcha boom, milling has become a choke point, especially for producers without mills--and true stone milling, with its slow output, is rarer than ever, but the Nishide family remains authentically undaunted, turning their shade-grown blend into a silky, redolent and luminous matcha with dreamy undercurrents.","brand":"Tier 1","offers":[{"title":"50g Retail Package","offer_id":47178063872223,"sku":"gekkou_match_tier2_50g","price":74.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100g","offer_id":47178063904991,"sku":"gekkou_match_tier2_100g","price":131.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/GekkouMatcha_2Large.jpg?v=1753725586"},{"product_id":"mine-no-shiro","title":"Mine No Shiro","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Nishide family has cultivated and milled matcha in Uji for three generations, maintaining complete oversight from garden to milling. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eMine no Shiro\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is shaded for four weeks in the Okunoyama microregion, where fertile soils and river mist produce tencha leaves with high amino acid content and vivid green color. The Nishides finish the tea entirely in-house on traditional granite mills, ensuring freshness and precision. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eMine no Shiro\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e straddles the line between everyday and craft; it's eminently drinkable: lighter and delicate, emphasizing clarity and umami over depth and density. The result is a clean, balanced matcha.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tier 1","offers":[{"title":"50g Retail Package","offer_id":47452505047263,"sku":"mine_match_tier2_00050","price":74.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"100g","offer_id":47452505080031,"sku":"mine_match_tier2_00100","price":131.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/MineNoShiro.jpg?v=1759505867"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/collections\/DSC1149_Large_92d78cca-bb21-4941-961c-33b94af8fdd4.jpg?v=1667578391","url":"https:\/\/spirittea.mom\/collections\/japan.oembed","provider":"Spirit Tea ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}