Tea farmer Kuwazuru Sumiyoshi is the only farmer to carry on this traditional method of shading tea leaves direct with straw. Warakake (literally “straw covered”) is a deep-steamed sencha or fukamushicha from the Chiran Village in Kagoshima.

Shelf-style with Reeds and Straw Mats, this is the most traditional shading method. Dating back over 400 years, this method is considerably more labor intensive and expensive to construct, but allows for more air and moisture to circulate around the plants producing higher-quality, more complex teas. The tea has more mildness, sweetness and less astringency in taste.