"Shizuoka Shincha (New Tea) Has Arrived!"

(UPDATE) A customer representative at the tea merchant answered my email and said "It was picked and processed mid April to early May." So that was before they tested for radioactive iodine and cesium.

-----------------------------

That was a cheerful e-mail message this morning from a Japanese tea merchant that I had bought from in the past.

In light of what has transpired in Shizuoka - radioactive cesium detected in raw tea leaves and the finished, blended tea, governor refuses to test the bulk tea (aracha), and promise by the prefecture's tea merchants to aggressively market Shizuoka tea in cooperation with the prefectural government - I'll pass.

For those interested in tasting the fresh brew of Shizuoka tea, 3-oz loose leaf tea in a canister can be had for $40. Here's the link:

http://www.itoen.com/loose-leaf-tea/shizuoka-superior-shincha-tin.html