Marukyu Koyamaen

Marukyu Koyamaen is widely considered the most prestigious matcha producer in Japan. Based in Uji - the historic centre of Japanese tea - the company has produced ceremonial-grade matcha for over three centuries and is the official supplier to several of the major schools of Japanese tea ceremony. Its top-tier matcha sets the benchmark by which other producers are routinely measured.

The Koyama family traces its tea-making lineage back to the early Edo period, when Uji was already the established source of the imperial court's tea. The current company structure dates from the late 19th century, when the family formally registered the Marukyu Koyamaen name. Production is split between cultivation in the surrounding hills of Uji, Wazuka and other parts of southern Kyoto Prefecture, and a state-of-the-art stone-mill grinding facility in Uji itself.

Matcha is made from tencha - shade-grown tea leaves that are steamed, dried whole and de-veined before being ground. Marukyu Koyamaen's reputation rests on rigorous selection of the tencha that goes into each grade, careful blending across cultivars (including Samidori, Asahi, Uji Hikari and Yabukita), and the slow granite-mill grinding that produces an exceptionally fine, vibrant green powder. Its ceremonial grades - Tenju, Choan, Wako, Eiju and others - are named individually rather than numbered, with each tied to a particular tea ceremony school's traditional palate.

Beyond matcha, the company produces some of Japan's finest gyokuro and sencha, but its identity is firmly anchored in ceremonial tea.

Signature teas

• Tenju Matcha
• Choan Matcha
• Eiju Matcha
• Uji Gyokuro

Certifications

Official supplier to Urasenke, Omotesenke and Mushakojisenke schools

Visiting

The Uji headquarters operates a small retail shop and tasting room; factory tours are not generally open to the public.