At the beginning of April, the first new shoots of the season
appear. Shortly after that, the entire gyokuro plantation is
shaded for about 20 days using a large framework of reed screens
and rice straw. This serves to shut out the direct sunlight and
to reduce the rate of photosynthesis, resulting in high levels
of theanine, the amino acid responsible for the full-bodied,
umami-rich flavor of gyokuro tea. On the traditional Japanese
calendar,Risshun refers to the first day of spring in a given
year; hachijuhachiya refers to the 88th day after Risshun.
Hachijuhachiya is special because it marks the beginning of the
year’s first tea picking. Though it varies slightly from year to
year, hachijuhachiya typically occurs in early-May. At that
time, the ‘first flush’ of gyokuro leaves is carefully picked.
‘First flush’ is the year’s first harvest of young leaves,
considered by connoisseurs to be the absolute finest in quality,
freshness and flavor. The rolling/drying process begins shortly
after the steaming has fi