Fukuoka (Yame)
Highly regarded for gyokuro, particularly tea shaded the traditional way with rice straw over a frame — honzu — which is made in small quantities and known for its density. Matcha production here has been growing.
Land and climate
The inland climate along the Yabe river swings widely between day and night temperatures and produces morning mist, which is said to act as a natural shade. The mountain districts, Hoshino among them, are where the top gyokuro comes from.
How it is made
Honzu shading — rice straw and reed screens over a frame rather than synthetic cloth — survives here. It is laborious and the volumes are tiny, but Yame gyokuro regularly takes the top places in the national tea competition. Competition-grade and high-end gyokuro is largely hand-picked.
Cultivars
What to look for
When buying gyokuro, look for the word honzu. Without it the field was most likely shaded with synthetic cloth — though that can be draped over a frame rather than laid directly on the bushes. Yame sencha is less famous than its gyokuro but is reliably made in a savory style.