Uji Matcha

Uji is where Japanese matcha started. A small region south of Kyoto, on the river of the same name, where the country first turned tea into a cultivated craft.

Tea cultivation in Uji dates to the late 12th century, when the monk Eisai brought seeds from Song-dynasty China and planted them on the slopes around the Uji River. By the Muromachi period, shoguns were drinking Uji tea exclusively. The shading techniques that define matcha today were worked out here, and tencha (the leaf material that becomes matcha) was effectively perfected in this region.

The terroir is unusual for a tea region. Morning fog rolls off the Uji River and settles over the hillside fields, slowing photosynthesis and pushing the plant to accumulate amino acids. Combined with long shading, this produces matcha known for deep, savory umami and a clean finish without the grassiness you get from younger production regions.

Most of the brands in our database with the longest histories (Marukyu Koyamaen, Yamamasa Koyamaen, Horii Shichimeien, Kanbayashi Shunsho, Ippodo) either grow in Uji or buy their tencha from Uji farmers. Uji is the right starting point for the textbook ceremonial profile.