Kagoshima

Japan

Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Kyushu is Japan's second-largest tea region and its fastest-growing, benefiting from a warmer subtropical climate that allows harvesting to begin weeks earlier than Shizuoka. The volcanic shirasu soils from nearby Sakurajima provide excellent drainage and mineral richness. Kagoshima has embraced mechanized production and cultivar diversity, growing Yutaka Midori and Asatsuyu alongside the standard Yabukita, which gives its teas a sweeter, more rounded character. The Chiran area is particularly celebrated, producing deep-steamed sencha that rivals Shizuoka in quality and has won numerous national awards.