About Nishio Matcha | Nishio Matcha

The nature’s blessings that help the growth of the ingredients for the premium Matcha

Nishio City and its surrounding areas in Aichi are the birth place of the premium Matcha. This area has the lavish display of nature that makes it perfect for the Matcha making; a lavish water supply from the Yahagigawa river, the rich soil that is carried and deposited by the river, and the mild climate. Over 90% of all the tea leaves cultivated in the Nishio region is Tencha, the ingredient of Matcha. This shows how Nishio is dedicated to the Matcha making.
Nishio’s production of Tencha contributes to 20% of all the Tencha production in Japan. While we may not be a mass producer of Tencha in Japan, we are proud to be the quality leader of Tencha. Our philosophy is opposite of today’s fast and cheap mass production. Not only being sourced from the single origin, but the great care, time and love that the tea specialists display in fields also make the world class Matcha. Uji or Shizuoka Japanese teas may be famous for their green tea, however, Nishio is the place that specializes in Matcha. For more details, go to “the interview with the grower”

The cultivation process that cherishes what makes Nishio Matcha special using a cover and a “Tana” -

To give “the vibrant green”, “the elegant aroma” and “the smooth umami and the rich flavor” to the tea, tea leaves are grown under a special cover to shield from the direct sunlight for a period of time. This helps the growth of the tea leaves, gives the more vibrant green color to the leaves and suppresses the bitter Tannin while promoting the sweet Theanine from the leaves. A cover is not simply put over leaves, but the cover is placed over a Tana framework that is built over the tea trees. This unique method makes this premium tea production possible. For more details, go to “the interview with the grower”

The traditional “Chausu”, a stone tea grinder, is used to make the best tea regardless of its cost

We, at Nishio, believe it is the best to use a Chausu, an old-fashioned stone tea grinder, to grind our soft tea leaves into the fine Matcha. Having one of the major mines for Mikageishi granite, premium stone that is used in making the best “Chausu” grinder, next to Nishio city also attributed to the use of a Chausu grinder in Nishio. For more details, go to “the interview with the grower”

Nishio Matcha, Japan’s first regional brand of Matcha.Nishio proudly offers the single origin Matcha to the world

“Nishio Matcha” is a prime example of the regional brand; a combination of the cultivation of tea leaves and the unique regional production of tea is practiced all locally from the beginning to the end. This purest form of the single origin for Matcha is rare in Japan or in the world.
In February 2009, Nishio Matcha was certified as the “Regional Group Trademark” by the patent office of the Japanese government. Many “Japanese tea” regional brands, such as Uji tea or Shizuoka tea, scatter across Japan. Nishio Matcha is the first in the country to receive the “Regional Group Trademark” that specifies for Matcha. Only Matcha beverages and products that use the locally grown tea leaves, and go through all the processes, such as the Tencha processing, refining, and Chausu stone grinding, without leaving Nishio city, Anjo City and Hazu gun Kiracho in Aichi, can be labeled with this sign.

Furthermore, Nishio Matcha is the first to be tagged to GI (Geographical Indication) for Matcha in March 2017 for its tradition and art.

Our care for quality and safety as the prime quality tea

We believe quality is not just about the vibrant colors and the excellent flavor. Safety is an uncompromising factor of the quality. Normally, the heat is applied to tea leaves to kill bacteria. However, this process can also damage Matcha. To overcome this dilemma, at Nishio, we have factories with clean rooms with a temperature and humidity control, and sanitary plant factories to avoid infestation. The state of art facilities produce the best quality Matcha by carefully handling the precious tea leaves.
Sacrificing safety for greater efficiency, such as cutting corners in production, is an easy choice if maximizing the sales is the primary goal. We believe that’s not what the world-class brand, Nishio Matcha, does. We take great pride as professionals and we are determined that Nishio should never settle for less.