The 7th Tea Master of Chikumeido Shizuoka Tea, Nishimura Eiji, nearly a century ago was one of the first tea purveyors to begin selling kabusecha. Then it was known as hot water gyokuro (netto gyokuro) and farmers covered their tea plants with straw (warakake) to shade the leaves. Today, Chikumeido continues the tradition with their warakake series. Chikumei is the highest grade in the Warakake series. Ingredients: Green Tea Storage: Store airtight in cool, dry location. Best by date: We always ship with at least 3 months left. (Standard period for best recommended quality is 9 months after production.) About Chikumeido Shizuoka Tea Chikumeido Shizuoka Tea itself is one of Japan's oldest companies, established in 1781 at the beginning of the reign of the 11th Tokugawa Shogun, Ienari, by founder Nishimura Shoatsu Tadazane. The 7th tea master, Nishimura Eiji, who created this product, is also credited with popularizing the term "hot water gyokuro" - what we call today Kabusecha (Warakake series from Chikumeido).
