Japanese green teas seem to have a brightness about them. I find
Chinese teas in general somehow smoky. Bancha is an acquired taste, I
think, like Puarh, but most all Japanese senchas are mild. Japanese
senchas depend greatly on where they are grown and have drastically
different qualities. Yabukita is a popular favorite. I bought a nice
sumibiyaki (literally "coal fired") sencha in Shizuoka a few months
ago. I highly recommend Sayamacha for its sweet taste. Tea is grown in
nearly every prefecture up to Tohoku and there is such a variety it is
hard to grow tired of it. Even gyokuro or matcha is different based on
where it is grown. Japanese green teas are simply a part of life like
the air that people breathe here. It is a wonderfully light transition
entering that lifestyle.

Rufus Firefly
Tokyo