by Horii Shichimeien堀井七茗園
Narisatono (成里乃) is the crown jewel of Horii Shichimeien — a rare ceremonial matcha cultivated exclusively in the historic Okunoyama garden, the sole surviving estate from the Muromachi-era Uji Shichimeien. The cultivar was developed over 20 years by the Horii family and officially registered with Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2002. Narisatono contains roughly twice the L-theanine content of standard cultivars, yielding exceptional umami depth and a luxuriously smooth, non-astringent finish. It won the Agricultural Minister's Award at the 2010 National Tea Competition.
Editorial verdict
The definitive expression of Horii Shichimeien's 600-year garden heritage — extraordinarily rich umami, near-zero bitterness, and a finish that lingers like no other Uji ceremonial matcha.
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About the brand
堀井七茗園
Horii Shichimeien (堀井七茗園) is one of Uji's most historically significant tea houses, founded in 1879 (Meiji 12). The shop stewards the Okunoyama tea garden (奥ノ山茶園), the sole surviving estate from the legendary Uji Shichimeien — seven elite tea gardens designated by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu during the Muromachi period. This unbroken custodianship of over 600 years places Horii Shichimeien in a category of its own among Japanese matcha producers. The brand's historical contribution to tea manufacturing is equally remarkable: in 1924, third-generation owner Horii Chojiro invented the Horii-style tencha manufacturing machine (堀井式碾茶製造機), the archetype from which all modern tencha processing equipment in Japan descends. The shop operates fully vertically — cultivating, processing, finishing, stone-grinding, and retailing its teas entirely in-house. Under sixth-generation owner Horii Chotaro, the house has accumulated 12 first-place Agricultural Minister's Awards (農林水産大臣賞) at national tea competitions, and holds certification as a Premium Gyokuro Certified Shop (プレミアム玉露認証店).
View all Horii Shichimeien blendsNarisatono is sourced from Uji, Japan.
Narisatono is priced at ¥3,780 for 20g (¥189/g).
Narisatono is recommended for usucha. Thin tea — the standard way to prepare matcha, whisked with about 2g of powder and 70ml of water.
You can buy Horii Shichimeien Narisatono directly from Horii Shichimeien's official website. Current availability: discontinued.