Why Uji produces the world's finest matcha
Uji sits in a narrow river valley south of Kyoto, where morning mist rolls in from the water, temperatures stay mild, and the soil is rich with minerals carried down from the surrounding mountains. For over 800 years, this specific geography has produced tea with a character that no other region in Japan — or the world — has been able to replicate.
The combination of mist and shade keeps the tea plants cool, concentrating chlorophyll and L-theanine in the leaves. The mineral-rich water gives Uji matcha its characteristic smooth, sweet umami. These aren't marketing claims — they're the reason Uji has commanded the highest prices at Japan's national tea auctions for centuries.
When Japanese tea masters speak of the finest matcha, they speak of Uji.
Yanoen Tea House — 190 years of craft
The Yanoen tea house was founded in 1836 in Uji, Kyoto. For nearly two centuries, the family has cultivated, processed, and refined some of Japan's most celebrated ceremonial teas — passing techniques and knowledge from generation to generation.
Yanoen has been recognised multiple times by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries at national tea exhibitions — the most prestigious evaluation in the Japanese tea industry. Their teas consistently rank among the highest-rated at domestic auctions, which is why they are difficult to source outside Japan.
This is the house whose matcha you're drinking when you order from Matcha Forest.