Hoshino Seichaen Matcha Grades: Every Yame Tin, Ranked (2026)
Hoshino Seichaen sells eight 20 g matcha grades from Yame-no-Hana (¥1,080) to Hoju (¥4,320). Which are koicha, which are usucha, and where to start.
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Join DiscordHoshino Seichaen is better known in Japan for gyokuro than for matcha, and overseas listings of its tins often disagree about which grade is which. This guide works from the producer's own Japanese-language store. It covers every matcha grade it sells, the price that took effect in July 2026, and what Hoshino itself says each one is for. Hoshino is one of the brands we track for stock at Matcha Alert Club. For the company background, see our Hoshino Seichaen brand guide.
What are the Hoshino Seichaen matcha grades?
The official store lists eight matcha grades in 20 g tins. From most to least expensive they are Hoju (宝授), Seiju (星授), Seiho (星峰), Ike-no-Shiro (池の白), Hoshi-no-Tsuyu (星の露), Yame-no-Tsuyu (八女の露) and Yame-no-Hana (八女の華). The eighth, Hakuju (白授), is a limited single-cultivar tin that sits outside the ladder. There is also a stick pack equal in grade to Yame-no-Hana, plus three 100 g business-use bags (Mokuren, Yamabuki, Kodemari) for lattes and confectionery. The romanised names are our transliteration. Importers spell them differently, so match the kanji on the tin.
| At a glance | Hoshino Seichaen |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1946, Hoshino Village, Yame, Fukuoka |
| Matcha grades (20 g) | Eight, plus three 100 g business-use bags |
| Price range, 20 g | ¥1,080 to ¥4,320 incl. 8% tax (July 2026 prices) |
| Koicha grades | Hoju, Seiju, Seiho |
| Best first purchase | Hoshi-no-Tsuyu (星の露), ¥1,620 |
| Stock on 1 Oct 2026 | All grades sold out; Hoju capped at 3 tins per order |
How much does each Hoshino grade cost?
Hoshino Seichaen revised every matcha price in July 2026. The 20 g tins now run from ¥1,080 to ¥4,320 including Japan's 8% consumption tax on food. Before tax, that is ¥50 to ¥200 per gram. At about ¥147 to the US dollar (mid-market, September 2026), the range is roughly $0.34 to $1.36 per gram. Even Hoju, the top grade, costs less per gram than mid-ladder Uji grades such as Ippodo's Ummon-no-mukashi (¥250 per gram before tax). That gap is the main reason Yame matcha appeals to buyers priced out of Uji. Importer prices will be higher than these domestic figures.
| Grade | Price, 20 g (incl. tax) | Per gram, before tax (~US$) | What Hoshino says it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoju (宝授) | ¥4,320 | ¥200 (~$1.36) | Koicha; the best leaf of each year, hand-sorted, limited |
| Seiju (星授) | ¥2,700 | ¥125 (~$0.85) | Koicha; also usucha if made strong |
| Seiho (星峰) | ¥2,268 | ¥105 (~$0.71) | Koicha or premium usucha; traditional hon-gyokuro method |
| Ike-no-Shiro (池の白) | ¥1,944 | ¥90 (~$0.61) | Premium usucha, fragrant and toasty |
| Hoshi-no-Tsuyu (星の露) | ¥1,620 | ¥75 (~$0.51) | Standard usucha; used at tea gatherings; good for beginners |
| Yame-no-Tsuyu (八女の露) | ¥1,350 | ¥62.5 (~$0.43) | Tea-ceremony practice and home use |
| Yame-no-Hana (八女の華) | ¥1,080 (pouch) | ¥50 (~$0.34) | Practice, home use and sweets; mainly Okumidori |
| Hakuju (白授) | ¥1,944 | ¥90 (~$0.61) | Limited; unshaded white-leaf cultivar, creamy and pale |
Which Hoshino grade should you buy first?
Buy Hoshi-no-Tsuyu (星の露). The producer calls it its standard usucha, with a toasty, deep aroma, refined sweetness and gentle astringency. It says the grade is used at tea gatherings and works well for beginners. That is a more useful starting point than the cheapest tin. Yame-no-Hana is priced as a practice and confectionery grade, and it ships in a zip pouch that Hoshino warns clumps easily and must be sifted. If Hoshi-no-Tsuyu suits you, Ike-no-Shiro is the next step. Hoshino calls it its representative premium usucha, fragrant enough to "delight even the host who whisks it".
Which Hoshino grades are for koicha?
Three of them. Hoju is the flagship. Hoshino says it selects the year's outstanding leaf, sorts the best parts by hand and stone-mills it, and asks you to prepare it as koicha. Seiju is the house's representative koicha, with deep umami, sweetness and an elegant aroma. Seiho is the cheapest koicha grade and doubles as a premium usucha. It is made with the traditional hon-gyokuro method of natural-growth bushes, straw shading and hand-picking. Hoshino credits that method for Seiho's distinctive toasty aroma. The same method produced the hon-gyokuro that won the company a 2016 Japanese Tea Award.
Why does Yame matcha taste different from Uji?
Hoshino Village sits in Oku-Yame, a hill district of Fukuoka with about 3,500 residents. The trade magazine Tea Journey notes that it has grown tea for more than six centuries and keeps winning national awards, mostly for gyokuro. Hoshino Seichaen grows its matcha leaf with gyokuro shading methods and says the result is unusually fragrant and rich. On TeaChat, long-time members describe Yame teas as fresher in style than Uji. One noted that Yame does not make the aged "kuradashi" teas that Uji is known for. Expect a toasty, aromatic bowl rather than the deep, brothy umami of a top Uji koicha.
Sources
- Hoshino Seichaen official store: matcha category (grades, prices and descriptions, July 2026 price revision; checked 1 October 2026)
- Hoshino Seichaen: company profile and history (Japanese)
- Hoshino Seichaen: product overview (Japanese)
- Tea Journey: Hoshino Village's Tea Culture Museum (Greg Goodmacher, October 2019)
- TeaChat: Uji, Yame and Shizuoka — tastes different? (forum thread, 2009)
FAQ
Which Hoshino matcha is best for beginners?
Hoshi-no-Tsuyu (星の露). Hoshino Seichaen describes it as its standard usucha, toasty and deep with gentle sweetness and mild astringency, and says outright that it suits beginners. At ¥1,620 for 20 g including tax, it sits in the middle of the range. Yame-no-Hana is cheaper but is sold as a practice and baking grade in a pouch that needs sifting.
Is Yame-no-Hana or Hoshi-no-Tsuyu the higher grade?
Hoshi-no-Tsuyu. On Hoshino Seichaen's own price list Yame-no-Hana is the cheapest 20 g matcha at ¥1,080, described as a grade for tea-ceremony practice, home use and sweets, made mainly from the Okumidori cultivar. Hoshi-no-Tsuyu costs ¥1,620 and is the house's standard usucha. Some overseas retailers list Yame-no-Hana as a premium tin, but the producer ranks it at the entry level.
Which Hoshino matcha is for koicha?
Hoju (宝授) is the top koicha, made from the year's best leaf, hand-sorted, and sold in limited quantities with a three-tin cap per order. Seiju (星授) is the house's representative koicha at ¥2,700. Seiho (星峰) at ¥2,268 is the most affordable grade Hoshino recommends for koicha, and it also works as a premium usucha.
What is Hoshino Hakuju matcha?
Hakuju (白授) is a limited tin made from a rare "white tea" cultivar (白茶) that Hoshino says keeps strong umami even when grown without shading. It describes the result as creamy and mellow with a refreshing finish, and pale enough to call platinum-green. It took the company's matcha department years of trials, and only small amounts are grown.
Can I buy Hoshino matcha outside Japan?
Not easily from the producer. Hoshino Seichaen's official shop is in Japanese and every grade was sold out on 1 October 2026. Overseas buyers usually go through importers such as MatchaJP, which re-list the same tins at their own prices. Check the Japanese name on the tin against the table in this post to be sure which grade you are getting.
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