How to Brew Japanese Tea: Temperatures & Times

The one table most beginners need: water temperature decides whether Japanese green tea tastes sweet or bitter.

Water that is too hot extracts bitterness fast. Cooler water favours savoury amino acids. As a working rule: gyokuro 50-60°C, kabusecha 60-70°C, sencha 70-80°C, matcha whisked at 75-80°C, hojicha and bancha at 90-100°C, wakoucha at 90-100°C. To cool boiled water without a thermometer, pour it into an empty cup or cooling vessel (yuzamashi) — each transfer drops roughly 10°C. Warm the teapot and cups first for the low-temperature teas so the brew does not cool further in the pot.

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.