Showa Dream (Lost Cultivar Blend) | 昭和の夢 — 40g

Brewing Instructinos

Hot Brew

Tea / Water Ratio: 3g / 200ml
Temperature: 212°F (100°C) — boiling
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

Story

A Lost Dream from Japan’s Tea History
In the Showa era (昭和), about 10–20 years after World War II, Japan’s tea industry turned its focus to black tea. The goal was to earn foreign currency by competing in the global market — and the country invested heavily in cultivar research and experimentation. Varieties like Beni-Homare, Beni-Hikari, and Beni-Fuji were developed specifically for this purpose, expected to become Japan’s ace in the international black tea trade.
But the dream was short-lived. As free trade expanded, cheaper black teas from overseas flooded the Japanese market. At the same time, domestic demand for green tea was growing. The export ambition faded, and most of these promising black tea cultivars were uprooted and replaced with Yabukita — the workhorse variety bred for sencha production.
The cultivars that once carried a nation’s hope were nearly erased from history.
Yet a handful survived — preserved by a few producers who quietly maintained their fields. Seicha Kano, a small tea crafter in Shizuoka, sourced leaves from these surviving plants and blended them into a single tea: Showa Dream.
This tea is not a reproduction or a novelty. It’s a genuine revival — crafted with care, bringing back a flavour that was once meant for the world stage.