Japan is famous for green teas such as sencha and gyokuro, but it also produces a distinctive black tea—Wakoucha. Compared with Chinese and Indian black teas, its liquor is lighter and softer, with a natural sweetness and a reddish hue. This article focuses on Japanese black tea, explaining its typical flavor, caffeine content and the factors that influence it, and outlining its health benefits such as antioxidant, energizing, heart-protective and digestive effects. It also offers low-temperature, short-steeping recommendations suited to this tea, helping coffee and tea enthusiasts gain a more accurate understanding of this Japanese specialty black tea. [more…]