Uji Asahi Matcha
RishouenCombining Asahi’s unique flavours with a soft and silky mouthfeel, this tea perfectly presents the gentle elegance of this famous cultivar.
Producer: Rishouen
Region: Uji, Kyoto
Cultivar: Asahi
Harvested: May 2025
Picking: Hand-picked
Uji city in Kyoto prefecture has long been at the centre of Japanese tea and has been famed for its high-quality matcha production for centuries, dating back to the 12th century. The shading method used to produce modern matcha (c. 15th century) along with sencha (1737) and gyokuro itself (1835) were all invented by Uji farmers looking to push the boundaries of tea quality.
Though the name Ujicha remains associated with high-grade tea, most tea branded as Ujicha is produced in the neighbouring towns of Ujitawara, Minamiyamashiro, Kizugawa, and primarily Wazuka.
With a name meaning 'morning sun', Asahi is among the most highly revered tencha cultivars in Uji, where it was developed in 1954. The plants require more labour to maintain and produce a low yield, but the resulting unique and powerful flavour and aroma make this cultivar a popular choice for competition teas
Brewing Instructions
Usucha
Thin Tea
Heat water to 70º C (158º F)
Add 70 ml (2.4 oz) of water to 2 g (2 tea scoops) of sifted matcha
Whisk briskly in a back and forth motion for about 20 seconds
Koicha
Thick Tea
Heat water to 85º C (185º F)
Add 30 ml (1 oz) of water to 4 g (3-4 tea scoops) of sifted matcha
Knead the tea in a circular motion until smooth and glossy
Rishouen (利招園)
Descended from a family of tea farmers, the head of Rishouen, Koji Kagata now focuses on working with high-grade tencha producers in Uji and the greater Kyoto tea producing region to create top-tier matcha blends suitable for use both inside the tearoom and in day-to-day life. As a practitioner of the Japanese tea ceremony himself, Kagata-san has a keen sense for blending exquisite matcha for usucha and koicha
Rishouen (利招園) is a small, family owned tea producer located in Uji, Kyoto. Founded in 1947, they specialise in selecting tencha from the best fields in Kyoto before skillfully fine-tuning blend recipes and flavour profiles to produce high-grade matcha