What Is Shincha? 88th Night First-Flush Japanese Green Tea

Shincha questions, answered

What is shincha?

Shincha means "new tea" in Japanese and refers to the very first harvest of the year. It is made from the earliest tea leaves of the season, plucked on the 88th night after the start of spring in Japan, a date known as Hachijūhachiya. The harvest typically falls around May 2 and marks the beginning of Japan's tea season.

What makes 88th Night Shincha different?

88th Night Shincha is a deep-steamed fukamushi sencha grown in the high-elevation gardens of Shizuoka, near Mt. Fuji. It is a 2026 spring harvest tea with tasting notes of fresh greens, edamame, spring pea, soft umami, and a smooth finish. Because the leaves are plucked at peak nutrient density after winter, shincha is considered one of the most premium teas of the year.

How is shincha different from regular sencha?

Both are green teas, but shincha is the first flush, made only from the earliest leaves of the season. That early picking gives it a vivid, tender character and a fresh, springlike flavor. Regular sencha can be harvested later and may taste less bright. The supplied information describes 88th Night Shincha as the freshest sencha green tea you can drink.

How do I brew shincha?

Use 1 to 2 heaping teaspoons of tea per 8 oz of water below boiling, between 160–175°F, and steep for 30 to 60 seconds. Shincha leaves are delicate and require less steeping time than other sencha varieties, so start short and adjust to your taste.

Why is shincha limited?

Shincha comes from a short harvest period, and global demand is high, so supply is limited. The 88th Night Shincha is a once-a-year tea, available only from the first harvest.

What size is available?

88th Night Shincha is offered in a Small 50g (1.8oz) size. The catalog price is USD 12.60, compared with a catalog comparison price of USD 20.00.

88th Night Shincha at a glance

• 88th Night Shincha: Ingredients: First harvest of 2025 deep-steamed sencha green tea from Shizuoka, Japan. Confirms the tea is a first-flush, deep-steamed sencha from a known growing region.

  

• 88th Night Shincha: Steep Time: Steep 1 to 2 heaping teaspoons of tea per 8 oz below boiling water, 160–175°F, for 30 to 60 seconds. Gives you the exact starting point for a delicate first-flush tea.
• 88th Night Shincha: Note: Shincha leaves are delicate and require less steeping time than other sencha varieties. Explains why a short steep protects the fresh, sweet flavors.
• 88th Night Shincha: Tasting Notes: fresh greens, edamame, spring pea, soft umami, smooth finish. Sets expectations for the cup so you can judge whether it suits your palate.