Seimei (せいめい) is a new cultivar introduced in 2017 by the Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science, NARO (NIFTS), Japan. Seimei is a cross between the Fushun and Saemidori cultivars from 1992, but the cultivar was only registered under the Japanese Plant Variety Protection and Seed Law on 30 January 2017 under number 31289.
Seimei is an early sprouting variety. It sprouts about four days earlier than Yabukita (which is a standard and is often used as a comparison). The plant has an upright to semi-upright shape and a medium to strong growth. The yield of Seimei is consistently higher than that of Yabukita and Saemidori and the cold resistance of is almost equal to that of Yabukita and higher than that of Saemidori. In addition, Seimei has a high resistance to disease.
The green tea quality is said to be better than that of Saemidori and Yabukita. In particular, the colour nuance and taste are said to be better than those of the previously mentioned cultivars. As the cold resistance is also higher than Saemidori, it is assumed that Seimei will establish itself on the market in the coming years.