Yutaka Midori

Yutaka Midori (ゆたかみどり, "Abundant Green") is a Japanese sencha cultivar developed in the early 1960s and registered in 1966. The cultivar produces a rich, full-bodied, distinctly umami-forward cup character that differs meaningfully from Yabukita's balanced default. Drinkers comparing the two typically find Yutaka Midori more substantial, more savory, and more "Japanese green tea" in the deepest sense — though Yabukita is the cultivar most international drinkers actually have in mind when they think of Japanese green tea.

Yutaka Midori's growing range is more limited than Yabukita's — the cultivar prefers warmer climates and is mostly planted in Kagoshima and other southern Japanese tea regions. The cultivar is also commonly used in matcha production where its rich umami character translates well to the concentrated whisked-tea preparation. Single-cultivar Yutaka Midori sencha releases are available from premium Japanese tea brands, though distribution is more limited than Yabukita or even Saemidori.

Teas produced

Flavor signature

Growing regions

• Kagoshima
• Other warmer Japanese regions