Chikiriya

ちきりや

ちきりや (Chikiriya) is one of Kyoto's oldest tea merchants, founded in 安政元年 (Ansei 1, 1854) on Sanjo-dori in central Kyoto — an address it has occupied ever since. The roots of the founding family (the Akiyama–Yonenai line) trace to 1756, when a branch ancestor opened a textile business at Sanjo Kinudana; the fifth-generation head pivoted to tea in 1854. Formally incorporated as a joint-stock company in 1951, Chikiriya today is led by representative director 米内政明 (Masaaki Yonenai). The company operates nine divisions spanning cultivation, manufacturing, product development, quality assurance, wholesale, retail, and international business across the Americas, Asia, and Europe. It opened its own Uji tea gardens in 1888 and built a Shizuoka processing factory in 1988. Certifications include Organic JAS (2013), ISO 9001:2015, and the Social Enterprise Certification (2021). Chikiriya's current "Tales of Uji" collection highlights single-origin Okumidori cultivar matcha, positioned for both ceremony and everyday use. Their matcha is described as mildly sweet with round, earthy umami and a fresh, grassy aroma reminiscent of shaded Uji gardens.