Asatsuyu (あさつゆ)

Early cultivar nicknamed 'natural gyokuro'

About this cultivar

Registered in 1994, Asatsuyu is famed for a deep savoury flavour unusual in unshaded tea, but it is frost-sensitive and lower-yielding, so plantings stay limited and its tea commands attention rather than volume.

Sources: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) crop statistics; Ministry of Finance trade statistics; Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); prefectural and municipal official information. Checked 5 November 2026.