Discover a rare taste of Kyoto history with Kento no Mukashi, a top-tier matcha from the renowned tea house Gion Tsujiri. Ground slowly in traditional stone mills, this deep green powder delivers a smooth umami richness, gentle sweetness, and soothing aroma. Its vibrant color brightens any tea bowl, whether whisked into a rich thick tea (koicha) or a delicate thin tea (usucha).
Gion Tsujiri created this special blend in 1994 to commemorate the 1200th anniversary of Kyoto becoming the nation's capital, a milestone celebrated that year with a grand festival drawing shrines from across Japan. The tea's name and character were chosen by the company's president at the time, in honor of the capital's twelve centuries of prosperity.
The leaves are grown shaded from direct sunlight in the misty hills of southern Kyoto, where dedicated farmers tend the plants with care. Only the tender young buds are harvested, then steamed and dried without rolling before the veins are removed, leaving just the pure leaf tissue used to make the matcha. Crafting this tea takes patience: a single stone mill produces just 40 grams of fine matcha per hour. That slow grinding process protects the delicate flavor, releasing a beautiful deep green luster and a gentle fragrance that only traditional stone milling can achieve.
There's no need to stand on ceremony at home; all you need is a bamboo whisk (chasen) to enjoy it anytime. Pair it with Japanese or Western sweets to bring out its flavor even further. This is genuine Uji matcha, worth savoring slowly and often.
Gion Tsujiri Kento no Mukashi Matcha, 40 g.
A premium Uji matcha created to commemorate the 1,200th anniversary of Kyoto’s founding in 1994. Made from carefully selected tea leaves cultivated by dedicated growers in the misty mountain villages of southern Kyoto Prefecture, then slowly stone-ground into matcha.
Only young tea shoots grown under shade are used. The leaves are steamed, dried without kneading, stripped of veins, and stone-milled at a rate of just 40 g per hour. This produces a vivid deep-green color, rich aroma, mellow umami, and sweetness.
Especially suited for koicha, thick matcha tea, and also enjoyable as usucha, thin matcha tea.
