Although it becomes possible to pick the tea leaves from the fourth year, it is not until the fifth to eighth years that the width of the bushes and number of shoots provide stable yield and quality.* In regions such as Nansatsu in Kagoshima Prefecture that have a high number of pickings per year, there are five pickings annually - from Ichibancha to Yobancha plus Shutobancha. However, for Gyokuro and other bushes that use a natural shape, only one picking per year - Ichibancha - is carried out.
*Width of the bushes: Width of each row of tea bushes excluding the spacing between each row. For plantations using a conventional layout, this width is usually approximately 170cm.