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Fukui tea-select shop Tsubaki Sōzen opens at Gakugei University
Tsubaki Sōzen, a Fukui-based tea specialist carrying Japanese tea, black tea, Chinese tea, and herbal infusions, opened its twelfth location and fifth Kanto store near Gakugei University station in Tokyo on 4 September 2026. The shop positions itself as a market-style retailer emphasising the pleasure of tea selection and tasting rather than conventional tea-shop retail, and has expanded nationally in recent years despite rising raw-material and logistics costs.
日本茶・紅茶・健康茶・ハーブティーがずらり！福井発・お茶のセレクトショップ「椿宗善」が学芸大学にグランドオープン
Key points
- Tsubaki Sōzen (Fukui HQ) opened flagship Gakugei store on 4 Sept 2026; 12th shop overall, 5th in Kanto region
- Brand emphasises consumer tasting experience and discovery over traditional retail; encourages 10+ tastings per customer
- Roasted-tea product won Platinum Award in 2023 Japan Tea Award (538 entries), ranked #1 in hojicha category
- Company launched 'Tea Culture Revival Partner' programme to counter industry decline via retail format and marketing red…
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About this article
The numbers
Total store locations: 12
Kanto region locations: 5
Japan Tea Award 2023 entries: 538
Platinum Award winners in 2023: 20
What they said
“We want customers to enjoy tea fully at every moment—choosing it, brewing it, and drinking it.”
「選ぶ時も、淹れる時も、飲む時も、すべての瞬間でお茶を存分に楽しんでいただきたい」
“To revitalise the declining tea industry, Tsubaki Sōzen is undertaking the 'Tea Culture Revival Partner' initiative.”
衰退の一途をたどるお茶業界を活性化したいと椿宗善が取り組んでいるのが、『茶文化再生パートナー事業』です。
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