【Ranking in Japan】 The best-selling Japanese tea in Japan

Japanese people often drink bottled beverages.

Among those, there is an especially wide selection of Japanese teas which makes us wonder which one we should choose.

Let me introduce a selection of the teas sold between May and July of this year (525ml bottles).

To find out the difference in terms of taste and appearance, I had a tasting session.

"Urecon Japanese Tea (bottled) Sales Ranking" (May to July 2021 Period)

1st place: Iyemon

2nd place: Oi Green Tea Strong

3rd place: Oi Green Tea

4th place: Aya Taka

5th place: Nama-cha

*Urecon is a service that helps you understand the trends of "currently selling products" based on purchasing data from stores all over Japan.

"1st place: Iyemon"

Using 100% carefully selected tea leaves from the long established store "Fukujuen" in Kyoto, which has a history that spans more than 200 years.

Its main characteristic is using Ichibancha (first leaf) which is rich in aroma and umami flavor.

With a roasting technology and extraction method that maximizes its goodness, they have achieved a freshly brewed taste and a bright light green color

So, let's taste it.

You can smell the richness just by getting it close to your face.

The flavor spreads just by putting it in your mouth, but the balance between the bitterness an sweetness is just right.

The refreshing feeling when you swallow it is very pleasant.

The beautiful yellowish green color paired with the umami gives a good aftertaste.

With all that, I can understand why it is number one in sales.

"2nd place: Oi Green Tea Strong Tea"

"2 times more healthy gallate type catechin" that reduces body fat is the selling point.

We select high quality domestic leaves that are rich in catechins.

Extracting the tea leaves at a high temperature brings out the "astringency", "sharpness of the aftertaste" and "thickness", creating the original astringent taste of green tea.

Let's try it.

It has a slightly stronger bitterness than regular tea, but this gives the impression of it being good for the body.

The bitterness and astringency do not remain as an aftertaste, and it is very refreshing after drinking.

Fans say that once you get used to strong tea, ordinary tea will not be enough.

Although its taste may have a mixed reception, I do in fact, like it very much.

[3rd place, Oi Ocha, Green Tea]

"Oi Ocha" the world's first green tea beverage ever released in a PET bottle.

It can be said that it has been the most beloved tea in Japan for many years.

Made from 100% domestic tea leaves, it is characterized by its aromatic, mellow and rich taste.

Let's try it.

It's rich and delicious, yet the taste is quite familiar.

In a good sense, there is no image of authenticity or luxury, and it is a product that you can drink easily with peace of mind.

I might feel like this because it's the product I've been drinking the most.

* Haiku and Senryu verses are printed on the label, so you can not only enjoy "drinking" but also enjoy "reading" the label.

It's so popular that some people collect the labels too.

Recently, a QR codes that allows you to play with AR have also been added.

When I read the QR code, this scenery spread on the screen of my smartphone.

In addition to this, there are many Japanese tea brands that can be selected according to any taste, such as refreshing, astringent, bitter, and sweet.

PET bottled Japanese tea can be purchased at supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide, but there is always Japanese tea in the lineup of vending machines that are often found in the city.

It is an inseparable of life for many Japanese people.