Sencha: the everyday green tea
Sencha is Japan's most commonly consumed tea, a steamed green tea with a lighter, grassier profile than matcha's concentrated intensity — the tea most likely to be served free alongside a meal at an ordinary restaurant, and the default option in convenience store bottled tea.
Hojicha: roasted and low-caffeine
Hojicha is made by roasting green tea leaves, producing a reddish-brown colour and a toasted, notably less bitter flavour than unroasted green teas, with correspondingly lower caffeine — a good evening option, and increasingly used as a dessert and latte flavour alongside matcha in Osaka's cafes.
Genmaicha: tea with roasted rice
Genmaicha mixes green tea with roasted, sometimes popped rice, giving it a nutty, savoury edge distinct from any other tea style — historically a way to stretch tea leaves further, now valued on its own merits.
Mugicha: the cold summer default
Mugicha, roasted barley tea, is caffeine-free and served cold as the default household drink through Osaka's hot, humid summers — found in nearly every convenience store fridge and often served free at restaurants in place of water during the hottest months.