“Organic” Alone Is Not Enough

Certification is necessary — but not sufficient

Matcha is a tea you ingest whole.
You drink the entire leaf in powdered form, not just an extract from it.

For that reason, “organic certified” is only a necessary condition for safety — it is not a sufficient one.
To truly judge a matcha, you must also ask: In what kind of environment was it grown? How is the soil itself managed?

Tea roots are incredibly powerful.
They draw up water and a wide range of substances from deep underground and deliver them to the leaves.
If heavy metals or other undesirable substances have washed into the soil from rain, wind, or surrounding activity, the roots will absorb them and they will ultimately accumulate in the tea leaves.

Even if a farmer can proudly say “no pesticides” and “only organic fertilizers,”
if harmful substances are entering the soil from the surrounding environment, the safety of the tea leaves cannot be guaranteed.

This is why we focus not only on how we cultivate,
but on the entire living environment in which our tea fields exist.

Why we grow our tea in remote, high-altitude fields

Phenimax’s tea gardens are located high in the mountains, far from towns and traffic.

By staying away from factories, busy roads, and heavy human activity, we dramatically reduce the risk of unwanted substances drifting into our fields.

In these quiet environments, we protect the soil and give the plants time to grow slowly.
For Phenimax matcha, the story begins at this very first step: choosing the environment itself.

Real peace of mind requires heavy metal testing

And even that is not enough.
Environment is alive; it never stays exactly the same.

That is why Phenimax refuses to claim “it’s safe” based only on organic methods and remote locations.

We go further:

• We continuously monitor the condition of the soil.
• At times, we even taste the soil ourselves. If we would not put the soil in our mouths, we do not want to grow tea there.

• We regularly test the finished tea leaves to ensure that heavy metals are not present.

Only by combining these practices do we feel we can say:
“Please drink this matcha with confidence.”

Organic certification is only the starting line.
True peace of mind comes from verifying the soil, the environment, and the tea leaves themselves.

This level of commitment is one of the decisive differences between Phenimax and typical “organic matcha” brands.

In Matcha, Quality Depends on the Tea Masters

This is a core belief at Phenimax.

Tea leaves themselves are, of course, extremely important.
But what truly defines the flavor of matcha is:

• Which tea leaves are selected
• How long they are steamed
• How the different lots, each with their own character, are blended together

You can buy the finest lettuce and vegetables,
but if you simply chop them or grind them into powder, you will not automatically get a great dish.

You need to decide which ingredients to combine, in what proportions, and how to cook them.
Only then does a dish truly come together.

Matcha is exactly the same.

From cultivation design through blend and finish, Phenimax’s tea masters oversee the entire process.

They are, in the world of tea, what blenders are in the world of whisky.

It is not the raw spirit alone that makes a great whisky.
It is the blender’s skill and intuition that transform individual components into something extraordinary.
In the same way, matcha’s true value is defined by the tea master’s craft.

Many brands say, “We buy directly from farmers and simply process the leaves.”
That is wonderful — but for many, that is where their involvement ends.

Phenimax goes further.

Our matcha is not “finished” at the point of harvest and grinding.
We start with safe, carefully managed fields and organic cultivation,
then add the expertise and sensitivity of our tea masters to create a fully completed cup.

These tea masters combine their specialties to create Phenimax matcha.
To learn more about them, please visit our tea master introduction page.

Traditional Ceremonial Matcha (Phenimax)

And

a New Matcha World (UNICROSS)

Under the Phenimax brand, we continue to produce traditional, ceremonial-grade organic matcha together with our tea masters.

At the same time, for people who drink matcha as a superfood for health,
we have created a new concept: the world of Wholefood Matcha, under our UNICROSS brand.

What is UNICROSS Wholefood Matcha?

All UNICROSS matcha is designed as wholefood matcha.
Instead of removing stems and leaf veins — as is generally done in traditional matcha — we grind the entire leaf, including stems and veins, and harness the whole plant.

Traditional ceremonial matcha typically does not use leaf veins.
Stems and veins are removed, and only the soft leaf tissue is ground, prioritizing ultra-fine texture and visual beauty.

UNICROSS Wholefood Matcha takes a different path.
We use not only the soft parts of the leaf, but also the veins and stems, and grind the whole leaf.

In this sense, UNICROSS Wholefood Matcha is clearly different from typical ceremonial or traditional matcha.
It is matcha designed with health as the first priority.

UNICROSS Wholefood Matcha is matcha for those who put “health” before everything else.

Ultimate Health Focus: Wholefood Organic GABA Matcha

This matcha is ideal for people who think:

“I do want the alertness of caffeine,
but I don’t want to keep raising my cortisol (stress hormone).
That’s why I drink matcha for its theanine.”

For those people, we created a cup that doesn’t just rely on theanine.
We elevate the naturally occurring GABA, well known for supporting relaxation, and build a matcha that supports both focus and calm.

Increasing GABA levels comes with a trade-off:
the green color is not as bright and vivid as traditional ceremonial matcha.

UNICROSS GABA Matcha is made for people who choose substance over looks:

• Nutrition and functionality over color
• How your body feels over how your drink looks on camera

For those priorities, this is the most health-focused cup in our entire Wholefood Matcha range.

It is also the matcha that our founder, Shuichi Tanaka, now 68 years old, drinks every day.

Two distinct worlds: Traditional and Wholefood

Phenimax offers two clearly different matcha experiences:

It is not a question of which one is objectively “better.”
The right choice depends on one simple question:

Why do you drink matcha?

• If you want to savor tradition and ceremony, choose Phenimax’s ceremonial organic matcha.
• If you want matcha as a practical, everyday superfood for your health, choose UNICROSS Wholefood Matcha — especially our Wholefood Organic GABA Matcha.