Japan Ingredient Sourcing
Raw material / 原材料Beverage ingredients

Gyokuro (Shaded Premium Green Tea)

玉露 (Gyokuro)

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Why source from Japan

Yame Gyokuro carries GI protection; Uji has 800+ years of shaded-tea history. Both produce theanine concentrations no other origin matches at scale.

Key spec

Theanine 1.5–2.5% dry weight; catechin 8–13%; total amino acids 4–7%. MOQ 1 kg loose leaf, 100 g powder.

Typical end-product

Premium bottled green tea, RTD beverages, L-theanine supplements, ceremonial-tier loose leaf retail.

At a glance

Suppliers listed
5 suppliers
Typical MOQ
1–10 kg loose leaf; 100 g – 5 kg powder
Typical lead time
6–12 weeks (allocation-constrained for top grades)
Regions of origin
Fukuoka (Yame), Kyoto (Uji), Shizuoka (limited)
Category
Beverage ingredients
Harvest season
Late April – early May (single ichibancha harvest)
Japan regulatory status
Japan Agricultural Standards (JAS) for tea; Yame Gyokuro GI (registered)
INCI name
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Japanese name
玉露
Romaji
Gyokuro

About this ingredient

Japan's most prestigious shaded green tea, distinguished by 20+ days of pre-harvest shading that suppresses catechin synthesis and elevates theanine concentrations 2-3x above sencha. Yame (Fukuoka) and Uji (Kyoto) are the two recognised production regions; Yame produces ~45% of Japan's gyokuro by volume. The deep umami profile and intense green color command per-kg prices 5-10x sencha. Used in premium beverage, supplement, and L-theanine extraction applications.

Regulatory status

JapanJapan Agricultural Standards (JAS) for tea; Yame Gyokuro GI (registered)
EUFood import; CosIng for cosmetic extract (Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract)
United StatesGRAS for food; cosmetic use under MoCRA
ChinaImported tea; verify GACC producer registration

Use cases

  • Premium RTD bottled tea

    Positioning
    Single-origin Yame or Uji gyokuro for super-premium beverage line
    Formulation notes
    Cold-brew extraction preserves theanine; pasteurise carefully to avoid bitter conversion

    Sources

    • MAFF Tea Industry Statistics

    Industry-knowledge claim — not yet pinned to a single primary source

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Japanese suppliers

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Last updated: 2026-05-04

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