Companies

Kyoto Tea

Do you all like tea? I drink it every day. It is great when I am thirsty, and it is great to drink when I feel like taking it slow; it is a drink I use in all sorts of situations, and that drink is tea. I think there are all sorts of reasons for drinking tea: for your health and for beauty purposes. And there are so many varieties! Green tea, black tea, oolong tea, dokudami tea, rooibos tea, and all sorts of flavoured teas.

UPD: February 27, 2026 23:43

Prices range from budget to premium, and even if you simply say “tea”, the options are endless. Still, when we hear the word “tea”, isn’t the first thing that comes to mind that slightly astringent green tea?

Here, I will narrow the focus to Kyoto tea and take a look at tea from various angles. The setting is southern Kyoto Prefecture, a tea-growing region with 800 years of history. Now, let me take you on a gently sweet journey into the world of tea.

Uji: a Tea-Growing Region

Woman enjoying a cup of Kyoto tea in a traditional Japanese parlour.

When you hear “Uji tea”, words like high-end and long-established probably spring to mind. If a bottle of tea says something like “with Uji matcha”, you end up buying it, believing it must be tasty. When you actually try it, the flavour is as good as its reputation, so you are convinced that fame equals trust.

Uji tea does not disappoint those expectations, and apparently it became known throughout the country as far back as the Kamakura period. Tea with Ashikaga Yoshimitsu’s seal of approval—that was Uji tea.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu is the shogun who even appears in the anime Ikkyu-san. Yoshimitsu gave Uji tea special patronage, and this was apparently inherited by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. So they established a branding strategy for Uji tea. Outstanding marketing!

So, what exactly does “Uji tea” refer to? Let us take a look.

What is Uji Tea?

Uji tea refers to tea produced and processed in Kyoto and the area around Ujitawara. In 2004, the definition of Uji tea was officially defined as follows:

Tea produced in the four prefectures of Kyoto, Nara, Shiga, and Mie.
Finished and processed within Kyoto Prefecture by businesses in Kyoto Prefecture.
Tea produced in Kyoto Prefecture is given priority.

In other words, Uji tea is tea produced and processed within Kyoto Prefecture by Kyoto artisans. This means that, as long as the main production area is in Kyoto, tea leaves from the three neighbouring prefectures can be used.

So, let us take a look at the specific types of Uji tea.

Types of Uji Tea

Matcha.
This is made by blocking sunlight for 20 days or more using reed screens, straw, synthetic fibres, and the like, then picking the new shoots, steaming them, drying them without rolling them, and grinding them into powder using a stone mill or similar. It has a mellow, sweet flavour.
Gyokuro.
It is cultivated in the same way as matcha and after the new shoots are steamed they are dried while being rolled. Uji gyokuro is regarded as the finest grade of Japanese tea. It has a smooth, full-bodied flavour.
Sencha.
The steps after tea picking are the same as for gyokuro. It is the representative green tea and accounts for most Japanese tea. Its defining feature is the refreshing feeling after you drink it.
Hojicha.
This is tea made by roasting sencha, bancha, and the like. It is relatively low in tannins and caffeine, and its toasty aroma and gentle mouthfeel appeal to almost everyone.
Kabusecha.
This is a tea that falls between gyokuro and sencha. After the tea bushes are covered for several days with straw, matting, synthetic fibres, and the like and the new shoots are picked, it is produced in the same way as gyokuro. It has the flavour of gyokuro, yet also a refreshing aftertaste like sencha.
Genmaicha.
This is Japanese tea with a toasty aroma, made by mixing roasted brown rice with bancha, gyokuro, sencha, and the like. It is mellow and light.
Karigane.
This is Japanese tea made using only the stems. In Kansai, including Kyoto, it is known as a high-end tea. Because the stems contain a high amount of theanine, the component that gives Japanese tea its sweetness, you can enjoy mellow umami.

So today, which companies are preserving and carrying on the tradition of Uji tea? Let us shine a spotlight on the long-established tea houses and take a closer look.

Long-Established Tea Houses

Fukujuen

Fukujuen was founded in Kansei 2 (1790) by Fukui Iyemon. In 2004, it suddenly became widely well known when it co-developed the bottled tea “Iyemon” with Suntory. It manages an integrated process from tea production through to sales, including in-house manufacturing and direct retail, and apparently it has expanded retail outlets overseas as well. Come to think of it, their tea is labelled in English too, so it is perfect as a souvenir for people overseas. When I buy tea as a gift for foreigners, or when I guide visitors from abroad in choosing tea souvenirs, I always recommend products from here.

Morihan

Founded in Tenpō 7 (1836). The tea itself is, of course, wonderful, but personally, I think Morihan’s real brilliance lies in its sweets. Sweets made with Morihan’s matcha are exquisite. Whether Japanese-style or Western-style, their creativity is overwhelming. The moment you take a bite of Morihan’s matcha sweets, the crisp bitterness and depth meld with the sweetness, and your mouth fills with a sense of happiness. It is pure bliss. Sorry, that sounded a bit like Yuzan Kaibara, but that is how strongly I recommend the sweets. Please give them a try.

Itoh Kyuemon

Founded in Tenpō 3 (1832). The shop is near Byodo-in Temple in Uji, a National Treasure. There is an attached café, and the parfaits here are sublime. They are practically edible works of art. The sweet bean paste and cream stimulate your brain, and the bouncy matcha jelly keeps the sweetness in check, so you end up finishing it without meaning to. How can a parfait make you feel wabi-sabi?

Also, Kyuemon sells matcha curry, the sort of product you might expect to see at Village Vanguard. I tried it out of curiosity, and it was surprisingly good.

Nakamura Toukichi Honten

Founded in Ansei 6 (1859). This tea merchant is based on the concept of blending the cultural power and spirituality of tea into a form suited to the times. The fresh tea jelly you can eat at the café at the Uji main shop is absolutely irresistible. The elegance and high level of craftsmanship that radiate from its appearance are such that you could display it in a gallery. Neither flashy nor plain, its balance is admirable. Incidentally, they spell jelly as “zerii”. It is a masterpiece that reflects attention to detail in every aspect.

Tsujiri

Founded in Man’en 1 (1860) by Tsujiriemon. But did you know there is more than one Tsujiri? The main house is Kyoto Uji Tsujiri, headquartered in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture. Spun off from the main house is Gion Tsujiri, and Gion Tsujiri operates the café brand Tsujiri. There is also another branch called Kyoto Uji Tsujirihei Honten. Personally, I like Meiji’s ice bar called Tsujiri Rich Matcha. It is convenient, but its taste is not to be underestimated, so please give it a try.

Tsujirihei Honten

Founded in Man’en 1 (1860). With a long history of cultivating and processing Uji tea, it offers everything from traditional tea to new forms of tea suited to the times. It explores the potential of Uji matcha as an ingredient, and you can savour carefully crafted matcha sweets. At the tea salon, there is a line-up of colourful sweets such as tama-cha extracted over 12 hours with ice dashi, daifuku, and parfait. If you love matcha, it is a place you will want to visit at least once.

Kanbayashi Shunsho Honten

Founded in the Eiroku era (1558–1570). It is a long-established tea house with a history of supplying tea leaves to the shogun’s household. When you hear “Ayataka”, many of you may go, “Oh!” Ayataka is bottled tea co-developed with Coca-Cola Japan, and I think some of you will recognise the phrase “cloudy green tea as if brewed in a teapot, with a rich umami”. For me, it is the brand I choose when I’m in the mood for a proper, no-nonsense green tea. Incidentally, it is pronounced “Kanbayashi Shunsho”.

Shogyokuen Seicha Co., Ltd.

Founded in Bunsei 10 (1827), it handles everything from tea production through to sales in an integrated way. Before and after the war, it achieved top prizes in cultivar competitions, and in a tea competition held in Heisei 25, it won the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award in the gyokuro category—proof of its strength. What is more, the fifth-generation head of Shogyokuen Seicha is a tea master, 10th dan. If you care about quality, do give it a try.