Miyazaki vs Kagoshima
Two neighbouring Kyushu prefectures, and the pair that contains Japan’s main exception to its own rule. Almost all Japanese green tea is steamed; Miyazaki is where kamairicha, the pan-fired version, is still made.
growing region
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Miyazaki | Kagoshima |
|---|---|---|
| Position | Eastern Kyushu. | The southern tip of Kyushu. |
| Elevation | Roughly 50 to 600 m. | Roughly 50 to 500 m. |
| Fixation | Both — conventional steamed sencha, and kamairicha, which is pan-fired. | Steamed, as is standard nationally. |
| What kamairicha changes | Pan contact gives a rounder, nuttier, less marine cup, closer to a Chinese green than to sencha. | Not applicable; the marine, umami-forward profile is what steaming preserves. |
| Leaf appearance | Kamairicha is curled rather than needle-shaped, because it is not rolled the same way. | Needle-shaped sencha, or broken and fine if deep-steamed. |
| Scale | Smaller, and kamairicha is a small share even within it. | Japan’s second-largest producing prefecture. |
| Terrain | Mixed. | Flat volcanic land, fully mechanised. |
The short answer
Anyone who has concluded they dislike Japanese green tea because of the marine note has usually only met steamed tea. Kamairicha is the same country, the same leaf and a different fixation, and it tastes it.
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