After harvest, the fresh leaves are held in specialized mesh-bottom containers that allow air to circulate from below. This maintains humidity and keeps the leaves close to their just-picked condition.

The state of the fresh leaf determines the quality of everything that follows. No amount of skill in processing can produce tea that surpasses the quality of its raw material.

Every step from this point forward is built on the foundation laid here.

Steaming is the step that defines the color, flavor, and aroma of the tea. A difference of just a few seconds changes everything — the taste, the fragrance, the clarity of the brew.

By halting oxidation at this stage, the vivid green of the leaf is locked in and unwanted grassy notes are removed. For sencha, steaming typically lasts around 30 seconds. Longer steaming brightens the color and softens the astringency, while also making the leaf cells more delicate — resulting in a slightly cloudier infusion.

Steaming is the foundation of Japanese green tea. It sets the character for all that follows.

Before moving to the leaf-beating and primary rolling stages, the steamed leaves pass through a machine called a rotorvane — a continuous rolling device developed in India in 1958, originally used in the production of orthodox black tea.

At Imamura Tea Plantation, this step has been incorporated into our green tea processing line. As the leaves pass through the rotating cylinder, stems and leaves are gently worked together, creating a more uniform structure that allows flavor compounds to be extracted more evenly.

The result is improved color clarity and consistency in the brew — and a more unified character across the entire leaf.

Immediately after steaming, the leaves are cooled to preserve their flavor and aroma. Left at high temperature, quality would quickly deteriorate.

In the leaf-beating stage, dry hot air is blown through the leaves while pressure is applied, removing the residual moisture from the steaming process. This stabilizes color and aroma, and prepares the leaves for primary rolling.

Primary rolling then uses strong pressure and hot air to draw out moisture evenly. The process requires precision — the leaves must be kept at around 36°C, close to body temperature. At our plantation, we operate six machines for these two stages, adjusting each according to the condition of the leaves on the day.

Rolling applies pressure to the leaves, distributing moisture and flavor compounds evenly throughout. It follows primary rolling, evening out any remaining inconsistencies in moisture and loosening the cellular structure so that umami can be more readily extracted during brewing.

No heat is applied in this stage. The leaves are gathered into a single mass and worked with varying degrees of pressure.

The way the leaves are rolled here directly shapes the aroma, flavor, and overall character of the finished tea.

After rolling, the leaves still carry significant moisture and are uneven in shape. Intermediate rolling addresses this in two distinct stages.

In the first stage, dry hot air and pressure are applied simultaneously, removing a large portion of the remaining moisture. The second stage uses a different drying method to bring the moisture content to a more uniform level.

A rotating drum with internal pressing action works efficiently to draw out moisture under consistent pressure. By the end of this process, the leaves are ready to enter the final rolling stage.

Final rolling dries the leaves while shaping them into the fine, needle-like form characteristic of Japanese green tea. The base of the machine is heated with gas, and the leaves are pressed and worked in a motion that replicates the movement of human hands.

The rolling action moves like a pendulum around a central axis, finishing with weighted pressure applied to tighten the leaf. A large rotating brush then passes over the leaves as the tray moves, ensuring an even, consistent roll throughout.

By the end of this stage, the leaves have achieved their form, their moisture level, and their texture — the distinctive beauty of Japanese tea, fully realized.

After final rolling, the leaves undergo a finishing dry. Moisture content is reduced from approximately 10–13% down to around 5% — the level required for long-term storage.

From the fresh leaf, which contains 70–80% moisture, to this point — the water has been methodically removed at every stage.

With this, the aroma stabilizes and the aracha — the unrefined tea — is complete. This marks the end of the primary processing phase.

From here, the finishing begins.

Using a sequence of graded screens, the leaves are sifted by size and shape. With each pass, variation is reduced and the tea moves toward a more uniform form.

Finer meshes isolate honcha — the most desirable portions — though yield decreases. Wider meshes preserve volume, allowing a broader range of leaf character to remain.

This stage balances quality and quantity. By adjusting the mesh and sequence, the leaves are refined for consistency, ensuring stable aroma and flavor in the cup.

Each leaf is scanned by high-precision CCD cameras, detecting what the human eye cannot — fine fiber, small stems, red stems, microscopic foreign matter — and removing them instantly.

The leaves flow across an angled, flat surface, allowing every form of tea to pass through with equal precision: finished tea, aracha, tencha, fukamushi. What has been built through human skill and judgment is protected, at this final stage, by machine.

Blending is the craft of bringing different tea leaves into harmony.

Variety, steaming level, and individual character are carefully assessed, using sight, aroma, taste, and touch.

This process requires experience and refined judgment, and plays a vital role in shaping the final cup.

Through blending, each element is balanced, allowing the tea to express a unified flavor greater than any single leaf alone.

Once complete, the tea is packaged immediately to preserve its quality. Aracha and finished tea are sealed in 30kg bags; matcha and retail products are packaged to their respective specifications. Each package is nitrogen-flushed to prevent oxidation and maintain freshness through shipping.

From here, the tea moves to the Kagoshima market and to buyers around the world. The journey that began in the field reaches its completion here.