IBUKI

IBUKI is a tea producer based in Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, operating a factory-owned store at 834-1 Ushio, Shimada-shi, Shizuoka. The company bottles teas made exclusively from Shizuoka green and black tea leaves.^[1]

Central to the producer's story is the Kanaya Ibuki cultivar. According to IBUKI, the variety was created to restore Shizuoka's standing as a tea-producing region, developed over years of research with local producers to deliver seasonal flavor earlier than other regions. The Kanaya Ibuki leaf is described as dark green and glossy, with a thin, sword-tip shape and a rich, dashi-like aroma.^[2],[3],[4]

IBUKI was founded by Genki Komatsu and Naomi Komatsu.^[5]

The tea leaves are supervised by Yukiya Komatsu, described as CEO and a Japanese tea connoisseur who has received the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award. The connoisseur team includes a 6th dan tea connoisseur and a hand-tea rubbing instructor; IBUKI states this is one of only 39 such connoisseurs in Japan.^[5]

IBUKI positions its bottled teas as made with only water and tea leaves, with no additives and no heating. The flagship IBUKI (Umami Sencha) is described by the producer as intended to change the concept of Japanese tea, brewing high-quality Shizuoka leaves in soft water.^[6]

IBUKI builds its bottled teas from only two elements: soft water and Shizuoka tea leaves, with no additives. The teas are produced in the company's own FSSC22000-certified factory, described as built to world-standard specifications.^[1],[6]

Water. The brewing water is drawn from the Oi River, a Southern Alps river the producer describes as naturally filtered through fertile geological strata, and is further softened at the factory into what IBUKI calls 'super soft water.'^[1]

Made-to-order production. IBUKI products are made-to-order. The producer states shipment takes roughly 5 to 6 business days from order receipt in one description and typically 2–4 business days in another.^[7]

Serving. IBUKI bottled tea is recommended served cold, warmed slightly in the hand to release aroma, and enjoyed for its lingering aftertaste.^[1]

Storage. All IBUKI teas are shipped via cool (refrigerated) delivery and must be kept refrigerated, consumed as soon as possible after opening. Shelf lives vary by product: IBUKI (Umami Sencha) within 1 month; IKUMI, KOUSHUN, and NIROKU within 3 months; and SEISOU within 6 months.^[8]

Pairing. KOUSHUN is suggested to pair with main dishes or salty dishes that enhance its rich flavor, while NIROKU is described as pairing well with both Japanese and Western sweets.

KOUSHUN won a Gold Award at the 2019 World Green Tea Contest. IBUKI (Sencha) is described as developed in an environment that has won the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award and the Governor of Tokyo Award.