Hojicha Tea Bags
Karigane
Hojicha Tea Bags
Karigane
Pre-Order
Expected to begin shipping between late September and early October 2026. Payment is collected at checkout. Orders containing pre-order items ship together once all items are ready. We’ll email you when the exact shipping date is confirmed.
Karigane Hojicha is made in Yamazoe, Nara, from stems separated during the finishing of shaded first-flush tea picked in early May. The material is a cultivar blend led by Yabukita. High-temperature roasting develops a clear toasted aroma and a naturally sweet, rounded finish.
Stems from shaded first-flush tea
Cultivar blend led by Yabukita
High-temperature roasted in Nara
The tea bags give this roasted stem tea a consistent format for hot brewing or a clean iced preparation.
Details
Origin: Yamazoe, Nara, Japan
Material: Shaded first-flush tea stems
Cultivar: Blend, led by Yabukita
Harvest: Early May
Processing: High-temperature roasting
Format: Tea bags
For Trade
Further Reading
First-Flush Stems, Roasted in Nara
What Karigane Means
Karigane is a stem tea. During finishing, stems are separated from the leaf and gathered as a distinct material. This lot comes entirely from shaded first-flush tea picked in early May, rather than the later-season bancha often used for hojicha.
The stems are a blend of cultivars led by Yabukita. Their harvest and selection give the roast a clean foundation, with less of the coarse edge associated with later leaf.
Roasting the Stem
High heat changes the first-flush stems without making their origin disappear. A clear roasted fragrance develops first, followed by a rounded sweetness and a light finish.
The work begins before roasting. The shaded plants are harvested, the first flush is finished, and the stems are selected on their own. Fire completes the tea, but the quality of the starting material determines what remains after it.
Drinking
Heals
We present Japanese tea and matcha as part of the Drinking Heals collection. In Japan, IPPUKU describes a brief pause—sometimes with tea, sometimes with a cigarette. Drinking Heals reimagines IPPUKU through Japanese tea. Inspired by the familiar warning “ Smoking Kills ” , it proposes another message: “ Drinking Heals .” A moment once associated with tobacco becomes a quiet ritual of water, tea, and time.
Learn MoreDrinking HealsRelated Products
More matcha and Japanese tea selected for different preparations and flavor profiles.
