Ureshino Tea: Saga's Green Tea Culture Counted Among Japan's Three Great Famous Teas

Ureshino Tea: A Famous Tea Nurtured in a Hot Spring Village

Ureshino City in Saga Prefecture is home to Ureshino Onsen, renowned as a beauty hot spring. The tea fields spreading across the gentle hills form a countryside scene soothing just to gaze upon. The "Ureshino tea" made here is a "tama-ryokucha (round green tea)" characterized by round, mellow tea leaves. With a good balance of sweetness and astringency, it is known as a famous tea that Saga takes pride in nationwide.

The History of Ureshino Tea

Tea-making in Ureshino is said to have begun around 1440 in the Muromachi period, when a potter who came from China grew tea for personal use in the Sarayadani area, giving it over 500 years of history. Later, a potter who moved from Ming China transmitted the pan-fried tea production method, establishing the technique of the present-day Ureshino pan-fried tea. Tea production began in earnest in the Edo period, and it is a venerable tea also spoken of as one of the birthplaces of Japanese green tea.

The Mellow Tama-ryokucha

The greatest characteristic of Ureshino tea is that it is "tama-ryokucha (curled green tea)," with tea leaves curled round like a magatama bead. Rather than being stretched straight as in ordinary sencha, it is finished curled with a distinctive production method. It is reputed for modest astringency and mellowness, with a clean aftertaste and rich sweetness and aroma. Because the curled leaves slowly open in the teapot, it is a tea that "brews well," letting you enjoy the flavor shifting with each pour.

Tea Field Scenery and Tea-Picking Experiences

The beautiful tea fields covering the gentle hills are a scene that symbolizes Ureshino. In the new-tea season, vivid yellow-green young leaves bud all across the fields, and their beauty is exceptional. Some tea gardens also offer experience programs to learn tea-picking, hand-rolling, and how to brew tea, and the taste of a cup you brew yourself is special. Ureshino also has a tea tourism initiative combining tea and hot springs, letting body and mind unwind at ease.

Access and Basic Information

To Ureshino City, the home of Ureshino tea, the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen "Ureshino Onsen Station" is convenient, with the hot spring town and tea fields just a few minutes away by car. By rail, access is also possible by bus from JR Nagasaki Main Line "Hizen-Kashima Station." Tea leaves can be purchased at tea shops and souvenir stores in the hot spring town, with prices varying by quality and quantity. They are also welcomed as souvenirs. For tea field tours and experience programs, it brings peace of mind to inquire in advance with the tea garden holding them.

Practical Travel Notes

April to May, when the new tea buds and the tea fields are most beautiful, is the best season. During this time, vivid fresh-green tea fields spread as far as the eye can see. Staying at an accommodation in Ureshino Onsen and tasting local Ureshino tea while soaking in the famous sodium bicarbonate spring lets you savor the blessings of Saga with all five senses. The "hot spring yudofu" cooked in the water of Ureshino is also a specialty. Combined with Takeo Onsen, the home of Arita ware, and notable Saga beef restaurants, you can fully enjoy the sights of western Saga in a day.

A Word of Advice

Brewing tama-ryokucha slowly with slightly lower-temperature water brings out a mellow sweetness with restrained astringency. Since the curled leaves keep their flavor over several infusions, enjoy the change in taste between the first and second brews. Many tea fields are privately owned farmland, so when viewing, mind your manners and use the designated walking paths and experience facilities. Enjoy a heart-easing trip to Saga with the famous hot spring and mellow Ureshino tea.

📚 Sources

This article is based on information published by Ureshino City and the local tourism association, guidance on the history and methods of Ureshino tea (tamaryokucha), and introductions to tea shops in the hot spring town and hands-on programs at the gardens. The availability of tea-field tours and hands-on programs, and the price of tea leaves, may change, so please check the official sources of each garden or the tourism association before you set out.

Visitor Checklist

• Estimated time: Half a day to a full day for tea shops, experiences, and the hot springs
• Access: A few minutes by car from Ureshino-Onsen Station on the West Kyushu Shinkansen to the tea fields and town
• How to enjoy: Tamaryokucha is mellow when brewed slowly at a slightly lower temperature
• Reservation check: Inquire with a garden in advance for experiences such as tea picking
• Etiquette: Many tea fields are private land, so use the designated paths and facilities
• Also enjoy: Onsen yudofu, Takeo Onsen, and the Arita ware village

Practical Information for Your Visit

Ureshino Tea Exchange Center Chaoshiru

• Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (until 15:00 on the 2nd and 4th Mondays). Last orders at the tearoom counter are at 16:30
• Closing days: Every Tuesday (the following weekday when Tuesday is a public holiday) and the New Year period (December 29 to January 3)
• Hands-on programs: Tea brewing experience, about 30 minutes, 1,000 yen per person; Ureshino hot spring tea dyeing experience, about 60 minutes, 1,500 yen per person; tea picking experience (limited to the period from late April to early May, telephone reservations only), about 30 minutes, 1,000 yen per person. The pan-roasting experience (about 120 minutes, 1,500 yen per person) is currently suspended while preparations are made
• Reception times for the experiences: Morning session 9:30-11:30 (last reception 10:30); afternoon session 13:30-16:00 (last reception 15:00)
• Access: About 10 minutes by car from JR Ureshino-Onsen Station, about 7 minutes by car from Ureshino Interchange, or about a 21-minute walk from Ureshino Bus Center
• Address and telephone: 2707-1 Otsu, Oaza Iwayagawachi, Ureshino-machi, Ureshino City, Saga Prefecture 843-0304 / 0954-43-1991

* Admission fees and parking are not published in official information. * The factory tour (free of charge, weekdays only) is for groups from schools, companies and similar organizations of elementary school age and above (roughly 8 to 20 people), and applications from individuals and families are not accepted.

(Sources: Ureshino Tea Exchange Center Chaoshiru official website, \"About Chaoshiru (Access)\" and \"Experiences\"; Ureshino City official website, \"All About Ureshino's Local Specialties\")