Yamamotoyama, a tea merchant that has been around since the Edo period, will release high-quality sencha “Uji Tenkaichi” from December 1st (Sunday)
Yamamotoyama Co., Ltd. Press release: November 11, 2024 Yamamotoyama, a tea merchant that has been around since the Edo period, will release high-quality sencha “Uji Tenkaichi” from December 1st (Sunday) ~1738 (Genbun 3rd year), Uji is a homage to the “beginning of sencha” created by tea master Soen Nagatani and sold by tea merchant Kahei Yamamoto. Traditional Sencha ~ Yamamotoyama Co., Ltd. (location: Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Nami Yamamoto, hereinafter referred to as “Yamamotoyama”) will start selling high-quality sencha “Uji Tenka” made using Uji’s traditional manufacturing method from Sunday, December 1, 2024. 1” will be released. “Uji Tenkaichi” will be sold at Yamamotoyama’s flagship store “Yamamotoyama Fujie Sabo,” some Yamamotoyama retailers, and Yamamotoyama official online shop. ■ Yamamotoyama official online shop: https://yamamotoyama.co.jp/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/36574/82/36574-82-9d8f084be5180f595aa6962272e52f76-1080×720.jpg ■ Edo/Nihonbashi tea merchant Yamamotoyama takes on the challenge of traditional Uji tea Yamamotoyama will celebrate its 335th anniversary in 2025. At this juncture, I thought about the culture of Edo merchants and created a romantic tea that evokes the “first sencha” that was widespread in Edo at the time. Yamamotoyama tea, which has been selling in Nihonbashi, Edo since 1690, is a deep-steamed tea that is characterized by its dark green light blue color and rich flavor, to suit the tastes of Edo people. Tea will become the mainstay. Deep-steamed tea, which can be quickly brewed using high-temperature water in a short amount of time and yet still retains its delicious flavor, was perfect for the dashing Edo people. Among Yamamotoyama’s sencha products, which often include deeply steamed tea, “Uji Tenkaichi” aims to return to the traditional Uji tea made by shallow steaming. ■ “Beginning Sencha” created by Soen Nagatani and sold by Kahei Yamamoto Soen Nagatani, who is said to be the father of Japanese Sencha, was born in Yuyadani Village, Yamashiro Province (present-day Ujitawara Town, Kyoto Prefecture), and in 1738 established the “Aosei Sencha Manufacturing Method,” which led to the current Sencha manufacturing method. Until then, the tea that the common people drank was simply boiled tea leaves that had been heat-treated and dried. The water color was reddish-black and the taste seemed to be very weak. Soen Nagatani continued his trial and error in the pursuit of a more delicious tea, and by adding a “rubbing” process to the steamed tea leaves before drying, he succeeded in inventing a tea with a light green color and a mellow taste. In order to have many people drink green tea, Soen Nagatani went to Edo and met Kahei Yamamoto, the owner of Yamamotoyama at the time. Kahei Yamamoto recognized that the tea was a masterpiece and bought it all on the spot, even promising to buy the next year’s supply. It is said that this tea was given the name “Tenkaichi” and was sold, which led to the spread of sencha throughout the Edo period. ■ “Uji Tenkaichi” has a deep green aroma and rich flavor hidden in the pale light blue color “Uji Tenkaichi” is made with only carefully selected soft sprouts grown in the mountainous areas of southern Kyoto Prefecture. The new shoots were picked in the spring of 2024 and processed by shallow steaming and left to ripen until autumn. This removes the greenness characteristic of new tea and creates an elegant taste with a gentle umami. The “Uji Tenkaichi” produced in this way is an elegant tea with a clear yellow light blue color, a deep green scent reminiscent of a deep forest of coniferous trees, and a rich tea flavor. You can experience its characteristics by brewing it with hot water that has been cooled to 70℃ to 80℃. Please enjoy a luxurious tea time with Sencha that gives you a taste of Edo. ■ Experience “Uji Tenkaichi” brewed by
professionals At the flagship store “Yamamotoyama Fujie Sabo” located in the place where Yamamotoyama was founded, “Uji Tenkaichi” is also available as a cafe menu. Our tea professionals carefully brew the tea, paying close attention to the amount of tea leaves, water temperature, and brewing time, so please stop by when you’re in Nihonbashi. ・Yamamotoyama Fujie Sabo homepage:
https://fujie.yamamotoyama.co.jp/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/36574/82/36574-82-526a2ab4ce5e57517bbdb88098366d2d-2016×1344.jpg ■ Product overview ・Product name Uji Tenkaichi ・Ingredients name: Green tea (domestic) ・Contents 80g ・Price 5,400 yen (tax included) ・Best before date: 12 months after manufacture (if unopened) ・Release date: Sunday, December 1, 2024 ・Product features A high-quality sencha made with the concept of “feeling the lingering aftertaste of the original sencha” using the traditional method of Uji, where sencha was born. It is characterized by a clear yellow light blue color, a deep green scent reminiscent of a deep forest full of coniferous trees, and a rich flavor.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/36574/82/36574-82-a4913ea74ec3af2a8360b13690174259-720×480.jpg ・Sales store Yamamotoyama Fujie Sabo, Yamamotoyama Nihonbashi Takashimaya S.C. store, Yamamotoyama Tamagawa Takashimaya S.C. store, Yamamotoyama Hankyu Umeda store, Yamamotoyama Kyoto Takashimaya S.C. store, Yamamotoyama Hakata Hankyu store, Yamamotoyama Official Online Shop *“Uji Tenkaichi” is a limited quantity product. Sales will end as soon as the production quantity runs out. *All photos in this release are for illustrative purposes only. ■ What is Yamamotoyama? The company was founded in Nihonbashi, Edo in 1690 (Genroku 3rd year) by the founder, Kahei Yamamoto, with the desire to “enjoy as many people as possible to enjoy the delicious tea of Uji.” He became known as the number one tea merchant in Edo after selling “Aosei Sencha” for the first time in Edo. In 1835, the sixth generation Kahei Yamamoto invented “Gyokuro”. Since the Showa period, they have started selling “nori” and continue to provide new value through tea and seaweed both domestically and internationally, without being bound by tradition. ■ Company profile Name: Yamamotoyama Co., Ltd. Head office address: 11th floor, Nihonbashi Takashimaya Mitsui Building, 2-5-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Founding: Genroku 3 (1690) Representative: Representative Director Nami Yamamoto Main business details: Planning and sales of processed products using Japanese tea and seaweed, restaurant business Home page : https://www.yamamotoyama.co.jp/ Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/yamamotoyama.japan/ Instagram ： https://www.instagram.com/yamamotoyama_japan/ X :
https://twitter.com/yamamotoyama_jp