Yuri Matcha

Gion Tsujiri (祇園辻利) is one of Kyoto's most celebrated Uji tea houses, founded in 1860 (Manen 1) by Tsujiri Uemon in Uji during a period of Uji tea revival. The Tsujiri lineage later established its iconic presence in Kyoto's Gion district after the third generation expanded to Taiwan and the fourth generation resettled in Gion after WWII. Today Gion Tsujiri is renowned for its stone-mill ground matcha endorsed by all three major tea schools — Urasenke, Omotesenke, and Mushanokoji Senke — as well as Kenninji Temple, one of Kyoto's oldest Zen temples. Their matcha is produced at a rate of just 40g per hour to ensure quality.

Aoi Seicha is a Nishio, Aichi matcha producer whose roots trace to the Taisho era. The company was established in 1966 and operates its headquarters, direct shop, and Sabo AOI cafe from its main Nishio site while selling matcha through its official online shop in Japan.

Iwai Seicha (株式会社磐井製茶) is a tea producer based in Iwasaki, Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture, founded in 1974. The company specializes in premium shade-grown teas from the Yame region — Japan's foremost gyokuro-producing area, which has taken the regional prize at the National Tea Quality Evaluation Conference for over 22 consecutive years. Operating with fully integrated production — from crude tea finishing and processing through temperature-controlled storage — Iwai Seicha maintains strict quality control by keeping all stages under one roof. Their signature product is Yame Gyokuro 'Asagiri' (朝霧, 'morning mist'), a high-grade hand-shaded gyokuro prized for its concentrated umami and distinctive cover aroma. The company motto is 'a symphony of taste and aroma' (味と香りのシンフォニー), reflecting a commitment to delivering complex, layered flavor profiles rooted in Yame's terroir. While primarily known for gyokuro, they also produce kabusecha, deep-steamed sencha, and karigane (stem tea).