Sencha “Hibi”

Hibi means “day-by-day.” The concept for this tea is 日日是茶日和, which roughly translates to, “every day is a good day for tea” – something we strongly agree with.

Hibi is an open-field Yabukita grown under Makinohara’s long sunlight, which gives this varietal especially thick leaves. Deep steaming transforms these leaves into a tea with body, sweetness, and just enough astringency to remain refreshing. It is aracha-style and intended for casual daily drinking.

Otsuka handcrafts this tea, following an intuitive method focused on minimal processing. He writes that, “whether or not tea creates some enormous feeling of amazement or emotion, I hope that because tea is there, the person drinking it can feel even a little happiness or comfort, and that their life might become a little richer.”

Dry this tea smells soft, like vanilla, hinting at the innate sweetness of Yabukita. It brews an opaque lemon-lime coloured liquor that has a rich body, electric energetics, and a friendly astringency. It imparts great energy, qualities, and clarity, especially for an “everyday” tea.