01
How current are these prices?
The per-gram figures below were recorded 2026-06-07 and have not been individually re-verified since. For today's prices across the full catalog, see our live price-per-gram comparison hub.
02
What is Ippodo's full matcha price range per gram?
Ippodo's US store carries 7 of the brand's 8 blends (Sayaka isn't stocked there). As of 2026-09-10, 6 of those 7 are in stock — Kuon is temporarily out direct from Ippodo. Direct Uji producer relationships; they hold their own inventory otherwise. The lineup runs $0.55/g (Wakaki, US store) to $5.20/g (Kanza) across the 8 blends, and every price step is legible: umami climbs, bitterness drops, and you can feel it. Prices below are Ippodo's US storefront unless noted — Ippodo's Japan store sometimes prices the same blend lower (Ummon-no-Mukashi runs $1.28/g there against $2.05/g in the US), but that means ordering internationally. Start at Sayaka ($0.70/g, Ippodo Japan) if you want approachable ceremonial. Move to Seiun ($1.68/g) when you want the bowl to sit in the back of your throat. Kanza is for koicha and ceremony — don't drink it out of habit.
03
What does each Ippodo matcha tier taste like?
Wakaki ($0.55/g) is intentionally harsh. Bitterness 7 — highest in the lineup. It's a training matcha built to calibrate your palate. Don't start there unless that's specifically what you want. Sayaka ($0.70/g via Ippodo's Japan store) is where Ippodo becomes pleasant. Bitterness drops to 3, the bowl is clean and accessible. Right first purchase. Kan ($1.10/g) is where sweetness (8) overtakes everything else for the first time. The finish is noticeably cleaner — worth the extra $0.40/g. Seiun ($1.68/g) and Ummon ($1.28/g Japan store, $2.05/g US store) are the premium everyday tier: umami 9, bitterness 2. Deep and savory, the kind of matcha that sits in the back of your mouth after you swallow. Kanza is ceremony matcha. Bitterness 1 — lowest in the database. Don't drink it out of habit; Kuon, the other ceremony-tier pick, is out of stock as of this pass.
04
Which Ippodo matcha is the best value for everyday drinking?
Buy Kan ($1.10/g) for everyday drinking. Umami 8, bitterness 3, sweetness 8, body 7 — the first point in the lineup where the bowl is genuinely pleasant from start to finish. If you want to step up without going ceremony-tier: Seiun ($1.68/g) adds a point of umami and drops bitterness to 2. Starting point for most people: Sayaka. It's not carried by Ippodo's US store — order it through Ippodo Japan ($0.70/g) if you don't mind an international shipment, otherwise Kan is the easiest US-warehouse entry.
05
How does Ippodo's pricing compare to Marukyu Koyamaen at equivalent quality?
At $1.10/g: Ippodo Kan (sweet 8) edges Marukyu Wako (sweet 6) on sweetness — the difference is real in the bowl. Ippodo Ummon matches Marukyu Unkaku's exact profile (umami 9, bitter 2, sweet 8, body 9) — Ummon is cheaper only on Ippodo's Japan storefront ($1.28/g vs Unkaku's $1.58/g); on Ippodo's US store it's $2.05/g, more expensive than Unkaku. Marukyu Eiju (bitter 1, sweet 9) is marginally sweeter and less astringent than Ippodo Ummon (bitter 2, sweet 8) at a comparable $2.28/g direct from Marukyu. Which brand is cheaper at this tier now depends on which storefront you're willing to order from, not just the brand.
