Tea picked in the later harvests of the year is known as Bancha. As it is harvested later, the leaves are more mature. It is also harvested from the lower leaves of the tea tree as well, having been less exposed to direct sunlight. Thus, from a purely scientific perspective, we consider Bancha to be a lower quality tea than its relative, Sencha. But Bancha is produced in many different ways, some quite unique and exciting. A prime example of such a Bancha is the specialty of Kyoto, Iribancha.

In a matter of speaking, all tea starts as Aracha before it is sorted. After the cleansing process, this unrefined tea matter is separated according to the shape of the tea leaf, and the desired kind of tea it is to become.