Japanese Green Tea with citrus Yuzu and Ureshino Matcha Win Three Stars at Great Taste Awards 2025!

Two of our products — “Japanese Green Tea with citrus Yuzu” and the newly launched matcha — have been awarded the highest honor of 3 stars at the internationally renowned Great Taste 2025 awards held in the United Kingdom.

The Great Taste Awards, organized by the Guild of Fine Food in the UK, is one of the world’s largest and most respected food competitions and is often referred to as “the Oscars of the food industry.” All evaluations are conducted through blind tasting, meaning judges assess only the quality of the product without any knowledge of the label, packaging, or manufacturer.

Judging involves multiple stages, with strict criteria assessing flavor, appearance, aroma, texture, and mouthfeel. This year, a record-breaking 14,340 entries were submitted from 110 countries and regions. Of these, only 273 products (less than 2%) were awarded the coveted 3-star rating.

Here are some of the Judges’ Comments:

For Japanese Green Tea with citrus Yuzu:

• “A slightly hazy, pale green infusion that is beautiful and appealing. The robust flavor of green tea is followed by a refreshing burst of yuzu.”
• “Umami-rich and creamy, with a long, elegant finish — a truly satisfying cup.”
• “Fresh, vibrant, and well-balanced. Both the yuzu and green tea are distinct and harmonious. A refreshing and mellow tea that invigorates the senses.”

For Ureshino Matcha

• “Strikingly deep and vivid green color with a fresh aroma. Sweet, smooth, and full-bodied with complexity and a lingering finish.”
• “Rich and creamy, with a perfect balance of sweetness and umami. Minimal bitterness or astringency, offering a layered and sophisticated flavor profile.”
• “An exquisite matcha that reflects respect for tradition while delivering refinement. Loved by the judges as a model of what great matcha should be.”

Future Outlook:

Tokunaga Seicha has long sought to elevate the image of Japanese tea while honoring its traditions and adapting to changing times and consumer needs. As part of our efforts to make Japanese tea more accessible to people who don’t regularly drink it, we developed a flavored tea blending Ureshino green tea with chamomile — a herbal tea from Slovenia, where Vera, the 3^rd generation president`s wife comes from.

We have also been actively engaged in promoting tea culture through seminars both in Japan and abroad.

In response to the global momentum toward environmental sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Tokunaga Seicha became the first in the Japanese tea industry to achieve carbon neutrality (Scope 1 and Scope 2).

Building on this award, we will strengthen our domestic and international sales efforts. We will focus on deepening ties with local retailers, wholesalers, and restaurants in Europe — our main export market — to further promote Japanese tea culture.

Message from President Kazuhisa Tokunaga:

“Receiving the highest 3-star rating at the globally prestigious Great Taste 2025 for our ‘Japanese green tea with citrus yuzu’ and ‘Ureshino Matcha” is a tremendous honor and a testament to our unwavering commitment to quality over the years. This recognition would not have been possible without the continued support of our customers, for which we are deeply grateful.

We will remain dedicated to exceeding our customers’ expectations and to preserving and sharing the rich tradition and evolving appeal of Japanese tea with people around the world — all while continuing to refine our craftsmanship as a unified team.”