News article
Uji's Historic Tea Houses Serve Matcha as Ceremonial Drink, Not Dessert Flavor
Two established Uji tea merchants—Nakamura Tokichi (founded 1854) and Tsujiri (founded 1860)—are drawing visitors by serving matcha as a serious beverage rather than a sweet ingredient. Nakamura Tokichi emphasizes the authentic experience of thick matcha (濃茶) used in tea ceremony, while Tsujiri's master tea blenders source and combine high-grade matcha for consistent quality. Both shops combine heritage tea houses with modern cafés, and report growing interest from foreign vi…
本場の抹茶を“飲む”旅へ。京都・宇治の老舗で極上の宇治茶を堪能！ - walkerplus.com
Key points
- Nakamura Tokichi's 濃茶 [初昔] (¥2,380) uses 2× the matcha of thin tea to recreate ceremonial matcha; signature dish emphasi…
- Tsujiri's master tea blenders (茶匠) handle sourcing and blending to ensure consistent high-grade matcha supply
- Both Uji merchants report rising foreign tourist traffic interested in tea origins and varietal details, not just flavor…
- Nakamura Tokichi's café occupies a Meiji–Taishō-era tea-factory building; Tsujiri's tearoom overlooks a seasonal garden…
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The numbers
Nakamura Tokichi founding year: 1854
Tsujiri founding year: 1860
濃茶 [初昔] price: ¥2,380
辻利プレート price: ¥2,178
What they said
“We pursue the essential character of each tea. Sencha should taste like sencha—fresh and bright from sun-grown leaves. Gyokuro should taste like gyokuro—rich and deep from hand-crafted shade-grown leaves.”
それぞれのお茶の"らしさ"を追求。煎茶は煎茶らしく、覆いをしない露地栽培の煎茶で清々しさにあふれたものを。玉露は玉露らしく、しっかりと手間暇をかけた覆下栽培の玉露で、重厚な旨味を持つものを。
“Tsujiri reports a recent increase in foreign tourists who are knowledgeable not only about tea origins but also about cultivars, bringing overseas attention to Uji's heritage tea merchants.”
最近は、お茶の産地はもちろん品種にも詳しい外国人観光客の来店が増加中だそうで、宇治茶の老舗として海外からも注目を浴びている。
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