Ato-Mukashi - Uji Matcha
Arita SansuienA blend of five tencha from Wazuka and Jōyō, yielding a smooth and creamy tea, great for daily usucha, keiko, or lattes.
The blended tencha is rounded out by gentle drying and heating over binchotan charcoal, a traditional practice now almost extinct in Japan.
The name Ato-Mukashi means "Later Pickings" (後昔), an old traditional name originally used for tencha picked in the two weeks following the 88th night of Spring.
Producer: Arita Sansuien
Region: Uji, Kyoto (Joyo, Wazuka)
Cultivar: Blend: Samidori, Okumidori, Tsuyuhikari, Gokou, Yabukita
Harvested: April-May, 2025
Picking: Machine-picked
Shaded: 20-31 Days
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.
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
Hot Matcha Latte
Tea and Milk
Mix 4 g (2 tsp) of sifted matcha with 40 ml (1.4 oz) of 70° C (158° F) water
Heat or steam 180 ml (6 oz) of your preferred milk
Pour milk into matcha base
Iced Matcha Latte
Cold and Refreshing
Mix 4 g (2 tsp) of sifted matcha with 40 ml (1.4 oz) of 70° C (158° F) water
Pour 180 ml (6 oz) of your milk of choice into a ice-filled 10-12oz (300-350 ml) glass. Optionally, add ~5ml of syrup to add texture and sweetness to the milk
Pour the matcha base over the ice
Arita Sansuien (有田三翠園)
Founded by Arita Heiichi (有田平一) in 1949, Arita Sansuien's focus is sourcing, blending, and finishing high-quality tencha, working both directly with farmers and also buying top-tier tencha at auction, with a focus on hand-picked, honzu-shaded teas. Their unique specialty is their perseveration of the traditional tencha finishing method of gently heating the leaves in a single layer on washi paper heated by binchotan charcoal. Once standard throughout Kyoto, this technique has all but vanished.
Today, Arita Sansuien is headed by Arita Ippei (有田一平) who continues to refine and perfect their blends and drying techniques to bring out the best from Kyoto's best tencha farmers. Their upper grades of matcha contain tencha from Kikuoka Yuuichi (菊岡祐一) and his family, who have won first place at the National Tea Competition, and consistently place high every year.