Uji

Uji is the historic heart of Japanese tea and remains the world's most prestigious source of ceremonial-grade matcha and gyokuro. The region's tea-growing history dates to the 12th century — Eisai, the Buddhist monk who brought tea seeds back from China to Japan, planted them in what became the Uji tea-growing tradition. The combination of Uji's microclimate (frequent morning fog, cool nights, well-drained soil), centuries-developed cultivar selection, and meticulous shading practices (where the tea bushes are covered with screens for weeks before harvest to concentrate amino acids) produces tea unlike anything elsewhere in the world.

The Uji matcha tradition is the global reference for ceremonial-grade matcha. Producers like Ippodo, Marukyu-Koyamaen, Yamamasa Koyamaen, and Yamashiro have multi-generational operations producing matcha for both ceremonial use and increasingly for export. Uji gyokuro — shaded sencha that produces the most umami-dominant cup in tea — represents another regional specialty. Pricing for top Uji productions sits at the upper end of Japanese tea; the editorial significance is unmatched.

Signature teas

• Uji matcha
• Uji gyokuro
• Uji sencha

Tea types produced

Cultivars grown

• Yabukita
• Asahi
• Samidori
• Gokou
• Komakage

Processing focus

Harvest seasons

• First flush shincha (early May)
• Second flush (June-July)
• Autumn

Flavor signature

Notable producers & areas

• Uji City
• Wazuka
• Minamiyamashiro