A 800-year-old tea region
Tea arrived in Uji in the early 13th century with the monk Eisai, and was famously cultivated by the Zen priest Myōe. The Uji technique of shading tea bushes to enhance sweetness — first recorded in the 16th century — is the same method used for today's gyokuro and matcha.
"Uji tea" is a protected geographical indication covering parts of Kyoto, Nara, Shiga and Mie prefectures; the finest comes from the valleys around Uji city and Wazuka village.
What Uji is known for
- Gyokuro — the textbook elegant style. Delicate, floral, long finish.
- Matcha — the majority of Japan's tencha (the leaf that's ground into matcha) is grown here.
- Sencha — refined, often asamushi (lightly steamed) in style.
- Karigane — stem tea made from gyokuro stems, a small local secret.
The taste of Uji
If Shizuoka is about balance and Kagoshima is about depth, Uji is about clarity. Uji teas tend to have a clean, almost crystalline quality — the umami is there, but not heavy. The aroma carries flowers (especially orchid and magnolia), and the finish is long without being sticky.
Producers to know
- Ippodo (一保堂) — founded in Kyoto in 1717. The best-known Uji house internationally, with an excellent ecommerce site that ships worldwide.
- Marukyu Koyamaen (丸久小山園) — revered ceremonial matcha producer in Uji.
- Horii Shichimeien — small-production single-cultivar gyokuro.
- Kanbayashi — official purveyor to the shogunate since the 16th century.
Visiting Uji
Uji city is 30 minutes from Kyoto station by JR Nara line. The main street (Uji-bashi-dori and Byōdō-in Omotesandō) is lined with tea houses — many will grind matcha to order or serve you a flight of three single-estate gyokuros. A 40-minute bus from Uji takes you to Wazuka, where the tea terraces climb the valley walls.
Recommended Uji teas
Taste the home of Japanese tea
Uji's best producers ship internationally — a direct-from-Kyoto cup is hard to match.
Buy Uji tea on Amazon →